Lost Heart
by IchigoMoonCutter
Summary: Ichigo finds himself in Hueco Mundo without any memory of who he is or how he got there. The terrible secret that banished him to the dessert land haunts him until he searches for answers, but will the truth be more terrible then the lies? No pairings or crappy drama.
1. Questions and Answers

**Just had to make this. This story came to mind and I had to write it down. Updates will come quickly because chapters will be short.**

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>Can I have what is not there? Can I seek what I do not know? <strong>

**To lose what was never mine. A purpose I must seek.**

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><p>The first thing he knew was that he was perfectly alone, no one was near him. The sky was dark but for a crescent moon that lit up the sands.<p>

_ Why am I here?_

He looked around for something or someone to answer his question. But there was nothing but sand and what looked like twigs as far as the eye could see.

_Who am I?_

He looked at his hand. It was a pale color. He appeared to be wearing a white shihakusho, making him stand out; A blemish in the vast, godforsaken dessert.

A hole was centered at his chest. It didn't hurt, which was surprisingly strange. It just felt….empty. Like he had lost something important but couldn't remember what it was. And above his heart, tattooed on his chest, was the number 0. What purpose the number served, he also did not know.

There was a sword slung through the tie on his waist, it was almost as long as his legs. He moved his hands over the hilt.

_Resolución. _

He did not know how he knew its name, only that it was enough that he knew it.

He touched his face, the right side was smooth, but the left…there was something there. It felt like a mask. It stopped where his jaw started and seemed to be plastered all the way up to the back of his head. A horn jetted off at his temple, sharp on the end. The mask could not be pulled off. It was stuck. But he did not mind. It felt right, and to destroy it would mean losing all that he was. He could feel spiky hair sticking up from his scalp and pulled out a strand so he could see what color it was.

_Orange…how…interesting…why would I have this color of hair when I am a…_

But what was he exactly…a mere being that existed in solitude? No. There were others, far away. He could feel them. He could feel their fear. They were afraid of him.

Why? Why keep their distance from him? Why would they doom him to isolation?

How long he was in this state, he did not know. Time was of little concern. All he did was stand there, looking at his surroundings without a soul to speak to. Days, months, maybe even years post have passed by without his consent.

There was nothing. And then, there was something.

A lone person was walking towards him…holding something. It appeared to be a cloak. His eyes slid over her appearance. It was almost as if he knew that person.

It was a girl. She had a mask, like him. Her long green hair streamed out behind her like a banner. Her clothes were white like his own. The sword she carried was shorter than his. A red mark was splotched across her face while a scar divided her forehead.

He smiled. He did not know why, but he knew this was a person he could trust. He watched her approach. It was a slow process. She seemed to be having trouble walking in the sand. The closer she came, the harder it was for her to move.

At last she was ten feet away before she stopped. Perhaps she could not come any closer because the air was so stifling around himself. The girl bowed on one knee in a respectful manner. He looked at her, waiting.

"Are you the Zero Espada?"

Her voice was strong, yet he could tell she was afraid. Her legs were trembling and her breath coming in quick gasps, almost as if she could hardly bare to stand in his presence.

"Zero Espada…." He repeated, speaking for the first time since he became aware of his existance. His own voice was raspy from the lack of use. "I do not understand…"

The girl glanced up at him, slightly surprised. Her eyes widened as she saw at him properly for the first time. A look of recognition flickered in her eyes and she opened her mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. The look was replaced with determination.

"Do you have the mark of zero on your body?" She rephrased her question, bowing her head yet again.

He pulled the neck of his shihakusho down slightly to look at the 0 marking across his heart.

"If you mean this, then yes I do."

The girl looked up. As soon as her eyes spotted the tattoo the Arrancar grasped the cloak she had brought with her and threw it at his feet.

"Wear it; it will contain your spiritual pressure so that you will not crush those around you. You are our leader now….Espada number 0…"

"Why am I your leader?" It was all he could think of asking as he pulled the cloak at his feet over his shoulders and draped the hood over his head, casting his face in shadow.

"You are the strongest there is…." The girl replied, standing up with ease now that his spirit force had been contained somewhat. "No one can stand up to you. You are king of Hueco Mundo."

"Is that good?"

"Depends on one's point of view….but for the most part, yes."

"I see…" He moved towards her, his eyes meeting her green eyes. "And why do you come to me?"

"Because I am the only Espada left, which makes me the second strongest…so…I will follow you where ever you go…and…" She hesitated for a second. "You seemed lonely…"

He pondered her words for a moment.

"I guess I am...but not only that….I just…."

"What?"

"I don't remember who I am or what I've been doing up until this point. I feel like I've forgotten something that's important, yet I don't know where to start looking." He looked away from her, suddenly finding the sand at his feet worthy of his attention, not wanting to show the despair he was feeling.

The rain had been falling mercilessly in the depths of his soul.

"I know your name…"

He looked back up at her, a small flame of hope flickering inside him. The girl gently smiled and touched his shoulder.

"You are Ichigo," she stated then touched her own shoulder. "I am Nel."

"Ichigo…" he repeated her words and found himself smiling, "I like it. Thank you Nel…tell me, what do I do if I am king?"

"Whatever you desire." Was her reply and she made a gesture to the landscape. "It is not my place to tell you where to go or what to do. But…" she smiled even wider; her eyes were almost playful, like a child. "If I were to make a suggestion, I would go where ever the wind blows…Ichigo. I will follow you where ever you go, no matter what you do."

"There really is nothing better to do, is there?"

"Unless you want to frolic in the sand, no."

He nodded, almost happy now, a new resolution filling his mind. What he wanted was to find answers, and the best way to do that was to move forward, one step at a time.


	2. A Hollow's Heart

**Fun fun. I wrote this all on a typing spree. Random writing is fun.**

**Enjoy**

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>Give me legs so that I can walk. Give me wings so I can fly.<strong>

**Give me a heart so I can share it with others.**

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><p>He wandered around aimlessly, enjoying Nel's company and the thrill of not being alone. Nel was not as strong as him, but her Spiritual force was strong enough so that she had to wear a cloak too so they would not destroy others. She later told him that she was the only one strong enough to come near him and not be crushed by his spirit force. Ordinary hollows or arrancars, as she told him, would die within a three mile radius of his normal Spiritual pressure.<p>

Ichigo did not ask Nel how she knew his name. Despite being vastly stronger than her and more or less her superior, he had a deep respect for the green haired Espada even when she occasionally threw childish fits. It was enough that he knew his own name. Having a name was better than having no name. And not having a name was a thing so lonely to him, that he was willing not to trouble Nel with his questions. He would find out for himself who he was on his own.

Yet as days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, Ichigo was faced with the realization that he would not find his answers here in Hueco Mundo. He brought this up with Nel one day, sitting on a tall rock that showed a better view of the sandy dessert than anywhere else.

"Finding answers is hard, king," she spoke in a soft tone, admiring the vast sky before them both. "We could go to the World of the Living or the Soul Society…but that would not be a good idea."

"Why not?" he was slightly surprised that there was a place where Nel was hesitant to go.

"Because of the Soul Reapers," she replied and gave him a look that was something close to pity. "They do not like us hollows, much less Espada, and even much less Vasto Lords. We would be very unwelcome to go either place."

"Why do Soul Reapers hate us?"

"Because our kind devours their kind, the feeling is mutual between us because Soul Reapers kill us in return. It is a never ending cycle that will forever continue until the world ends."

"The world is a cruel place…" Ichigo could not help voicing it. Nel nodded and pulled back her hood. Her green hair was free to blow in the wind.

"That it is, but if we know it is, then we have the power to change it." She then laughed.

"Even if we can't change it, I won't stop trying," the orange haired Espada vowed, more to himself then to her.

"That's what I like about you Ichigo; you're always honest with your thoughts, even when most would laugh…"

Ichigo found himself embarrassed slightly as he joined in her laugher. Nel's smile faded slightly as she looked at him, tearing her eyes away from the moon.

"Ichigo…" her voice was calm now; all laughed had died from her eyes to be replaced with sadness, "what if the answers you're looking for turn out to be worse than living ignorant of the knowledge?"

He met her eyes, a small smile playing his face.

"I don't know, but I'll meet the challenge when it comes and won't turn back…"

"I'd thought you'd say that…"

She rose to her feet, her mind made up. Nel stretched out her hand to Ichigo and he grabbed it. After she pulled him to his feet, she moved a little ways away and drew her sword.

"Promise me one thing," her voice quavered for a moment.

"What?"

"You will not remove your hood or cloak except when faced with a challenge stronger than your suppressed form. You could kill many by accident, and I wish to harm no one while we visit. Also, try to hold back if your opponent is much weaker than yourself."

Ichigo nodded.

"Very will then, we will travel to the World of the Living to find your answers…"

Using her sword, Nel slashed sideways at thin air, a large crack appeared in mid air and opened up to a dark place. Together, they leaped inside the dimension, traveling to whatever fate awaited them.

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><p>"The humans won't be able to see us, try to lower your spirit force a bit more…yeah, that's better, now, let's begin." Nel was hardly able to contain her excitement. Ichigo smiled as they both strolled in mid air down towards the ground.<p>

"Have you ever been here Nel?" He asked, already guessing the answer.

"No," she admitted and then laughed. "But this will be fun. There's much more to see here than Hueco Mundo."

"What do we do if Soul Reapers come?" Although Ichigo didn't want to admit it, he was a little apprehensive about meeting those hollow slayers.

"Ahhhhh," said Nel in a sing song voice and poked Ichigo on the shoulder, annoying him greatly and causing a scowl to fall into place, "Is the gweat kingy scawd of the mean sowl weapers? Don't' wowy, those bad sowl weapers will be fwightened of kingy's big swowd."

"Oi!" Ichigo snapped, losing his temper, "Answer me seriously why don't you?" Nel gave him a pouty face before giggling and saying, "You can just stunt whatever low life comes your way, silly. I don't think any Soul Reaper would stand a chance of facing you in a battle to the death."

"I see."

"Oh cheer up, let's go searching. Maybe something will come to you while we search."

Nel's ploy worked. Ichigo's mood began to improve as they finally reached the ground and began walking along a random road.

"How long do you think we should stay here?" he asked, feeling some of Nel's excitement leak into him.

"Not too long," she admitted, "we'll attract attention sooner or later. But you're the king, so if you wish to stay, we will stay."

"These humans are so strange," Ichigo marveled as humans passed them left and right, oblivious to their strange onlookers. "So you told me they don't eat each other to grow stronger? So weird…hey, wait up Nel!"

He had to jog to catch up with the female Espada. She was watching some animals barking and chasing each other.

"Hey, king!" She squealed happily, "I think those are dogs! They're just like the ones in Hueco Mundo!"

"I think you're right," he replied, amused.

_Well, at least she'll be entertained for a while._

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><p>An alarm went off in the lab room of Squad 12.<p>

"What is it _now_ Nemu? Did one of our machines break or have you just been neglecting your job?"

"No master Mayuri," replied Nemu, pressing a few buttons. "It's the Arrancar alarm. Except the Spiritual Pressure readings are much higher than normal."

"Well what are you waiting for you useless girl? Go notify the Head Captain immediately! Have him find a squad to take care of it; I'm much too busy to trifle with some mere arrancars."

"Yes master, I will take care of it right away."


	3. Weaklings

I am loving this story. Keep the favorites/reviews coming! They make me want to keep writing!

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>Harmony is not with us.<strong>

**Mortal is the hope of anyone who's even trying.**

**Stand up, be strong, no right, no wrong. Forever else believe yourself.**

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><p>"What? You want me to go?"<p>

"Renji, do I need to repeat myself?"

"Ah, no Captain Kuchiki, that's not what I meant. I'm just surprised to be sent to…that place again…"

"If you're suggesting that you're not emotionally fit to carry out your duties, I'm sure some other squad will be able to—"

"No captain, I'll be fine!"

Byakuya eyed Renji suspiciously before sighing."Very well, Rukia has also been picked as well since she knows the area best. You will do your best to protect her." Renji stiffened, guilt filling his insides.

"Of course sir…" he said this knowing full well that if he didn't protect Rukia, his Captain would never rest until he was dead.

"Then I'll take my leave. Send a report back as soon as you've assessed the situation. We'll send back up if needed."

Renji privately doubted that he wouldn't need back up to handle a simple arrancar. But he held his tongue and nodded, inwardly cursing.

_How can I go back after what happened? But if I'm having a bad day because of it, it'll be nothing next to what Rukia feels._

Another wave of guilt churned at his insides. Yet a grain of defiance was planted inside his soul. He couldn't let his emotions stop him from performing his Soul Reaper duties. Renji Abarai would never lose to his own soul.

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><p>"I feel like this place is important to me somehow…" Ichigo murmured, deep in thought. Trying to remember why it was so important.<p>

He and Nel were standing by a river. Behind them ran some sort of machine on tracks and to their left was some sort of road that stretched out over the water.

Nel was looking perplexed as to how to help him remember.

"Should we stand closer to the edge? Maybe something will come to you…"

It was worth a try. Wrapping his cloak tighter around himself and pulling his hood down even further, Ichigo followed Nel to the riverbank.

They stood there for minutes. Nel was gazing at the fish in the stream and getting that playful look in her eye again. But she restrained herself for Ichigo.

Finally, he said, "Blood…"

"Blood…?" she echoed back at him, not knowing whether to feel happy or sad. "Anything else?"

He was quiet for a minute, and then replied, "A hollow….blood and a hollow…."

"Strange…" Nel murmured, looking puzzled. "But at least you remembered _something_, so this is a good thing!" She nearly started dancing with joy, but settled for jumping into the stream, spraying Ichigo with cold water.

"Hey!" he said, scowling, "Watch it!" Nel ignored him as she raised a wiggling fish triumphantly in the air.

"What are you people doing?" asked a bored voice from behind Ichigo who turned around to see a small dark haired girl.

"Oh, look! A human can see us!" said Nel, still bristling with enthusiasm. "The World of the Living is even stranger than I thought!"

The dark haired girl looked slightly taken aback, but regained her cool appearance. "I see, so you're ghosts then…"

Nel tilted her head childishly, "perhaps we are."

"Well, you better watch out then," the girl said, glancing from the juvenile woman in the water to the tall silent man in the cloak. "Monsters normally appear around here after dark. You'd best be on your way."

Ichigo nodded, acknowledging the young human who in turn, smiled a small smile at him before turning away. As soon as she was gone, he turned to Nel was still looking for more fish.

"Nel, do you think the monsters she was talking about are hollows?" he asked just as the Arrancar girl made another great splash.

"Most likely," she replied, quite at ease. "You wanna go scare some back into Hueco Mundo? It'll be fun to take a break anyway."

Ichigo frowned, about to refuse, but Nel was already running back up the hill to the road.

"Alright fine," he growled irritably and followed.

Night was indeed falling quickly, and soon, in no time at all, Ichigo could feel a hollow's presence enter the human world.

With seeming never ending energy, Nel grabbed Ichigo's hand, using sonido to get there faster. They arrived just as a fish faced hollow was crawling out of a dimension. It screamed a cry of hunger and started making its way towards a soul of a girl who was stiff with fright.

"Hungryyyyyyy," the hollow shrieked, "Tastyyyyy Soullll!"

With a little push from Nel, Ichigo found himself in front of the hollow. Sighing, thinking it was a waste of time, he let out a bit of spiritual power to grab its attention. The hollow had frozen, quavering in fear. Ichigo strolled lazily up to it and snarled, "Go back home or I'll kill you and devour you here and now."

"Y—yes k—king," it whimpered and retreated into the inky blackness of the next dimension.

Nel squealed with delight.

"Oh shut up," snapped Ichigo, crossing his arms, "why should I even bother wasting my time on pathetic weaklings?"

Nel couldn't see the frown on his face since it was too dark and his hood was pulled low.

"Oh don't be so grumpy! That was funny!" Nel was laughing, but suddenly stopped mid snort. Ichigo had sensed it too, and just in time. He quickly used sonido to avoid the light blue arrows that shot at him from the shadows, landing exactly where he had been standing.

"Oh on the contrary," said a cool voice and a young man stepped into a lit spot on the road, "I don't think that was funny at all."

Ichigo shot a quick look at Nel, she seemed to recognize this person, but didn't say a word.

The human turned his attention to Ichigo.

"Mind telling me how you sent that hollow packing, arrancar?"

"Uh," Ichigo was slightly confused, but decided to be truthful…well, a bit. "I told it to go home."

The latter raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Ichigo's frown deepened. This human talked too much.

"Because the look on its face was totally worth it!" Nel cut in before Ichigo could utter a word. "Go away, Quincy. You're ruining the mood. As he said…." She pointed at Ichigo and quoted his words, well, some of them, "Why should we even bother wasting our time on a pathetic weakling like you?"

The human that Nel called "Quincy" narrowed his eyes at Nel and pushed up his glasses in a dignified manner. Then with the air of being issued a challenge said, "So….I'm a "pathetic weakling" am I?"

"Does it matter?" Ichigo spoke before Nel could say 'Yes!', "Look, I don't care if you're weak or strong. All I know is that I made a promise not to harm anyone if I could help it while I was here. So please, for your own health, mind your own business."

The Quincy looked surprised at this statement, yet he hid it quickly with a dry laugh. "Why would a hollow promise such a thing, much less an arrancar for that matter?"

But Ichigo was already turning away, plainly ignoring him.

"Let's go Nel, I wish to continue searching…"

Nel nodded and followed. They had both walked no more than three steps before Ichigo (without looking) caught an arrow that almost grazed the side of his cloak.

"Look Quincy, go away. You're annoying." Ichigo snapped the arrow in half and let it fall to the ground. Nel laughed and started skipping ahead.

"Let's go to that big road!" She suggested happily, "there were so many things moving on it. Perhaps you'll find something there."

"Very well…"

"Hold it!" shouted the Quincy, appearing suddenly in front of them, "I can't let you do whatever you wish here in this world."

Nel snickered and then in a very loud whisper turned back to Ichigo and said, "Wow, you're right! He _is_ annoying!"

The Quincy looked a little disgruntled at this comment and drew a bright blue bow out of thin air. Ichigo looked at him, almost interested.

"Hey," he asked Nel, because she seemed more likely to know, "What _are_ Quincys? Are they Soul Reapers?"

"Hardly," she replied, pulling her cloak more tightly around herself. "They're humans that are like Soul Reapers, they kill hollows too. But when it all comes down, they're still humans and much weaker than Soul Reapers."

"WEAK?"

The Quincy's angry shout turned the two Espadas' attention back on him.

"Oh dear, I think we made him mad…" said Nel in a sorry voice, but Ichigo heard sarcasm in it. After debating with himself for a moment, he decided to follow her lead.

"Seems so, should we apologize? Although…I don't really know what to say sorry for…."

"STOP MAKING FUN OF ME!" The Quincy yelled and fired what seemed like a hundred arrows at them both.

"Ah, he thinks he can beat us like that?" exclaimed Nel, fainting sadness, "Should we not dodge? Maybe letting one hit us will make him feel better."

"He is a sorry sight," Ichigo agreed, loud enough so the Quincy could hear, "Being more than human but weaker than a Soul Reaper must be so depressing." He and Nel let the arrows hit their bodies and the weapons bounced off harmlessly.

_Interesting, they're composed of spirit particles._

"You know," Nel suggested, almost unable to keep herself from giggling at the Quincy's shocked face. "Maybe we should pretend he can actually stand up to us, and then he won't be so depressed."

Ichigo was about to propose that he should just stun him with his own spirit force when a girl and a tall boy rush forward to join the Quincy.

"Uryu! What's going on? Who you fighting?" said the girl who gave Ichigo and Nel a fearful glance.

"Orihime, stay away!" warned the Quincy, not removing his eyes from the two figures whom he had just tried to stop. "Those two are incredibly strong. My attack was repelled by their own spiritual pressure! And they haven't even tried to fight me!"

"Oh….more Quincys?" Ichigo asked Nel who shook her head.

"No, but they do have odd powers for humans."

"Are they arrancar?" the tall boy asked, talking to Uryu.

"I thought so at first, but now I'm not so sure…"

Ichigo and Nel exchanged amused and pitying glances. Apparently, Quincy's were depressed _and_ stupid.

"Orihime…" Uryu spoke in a commanding voice, "You stay behind me and Sado. Be prepared to heal us and put up your shield. Sado, you take on the girl, I'll take on the guy."

"Uh, Uryu?" said Sado, looking from Ichigo to Nel. "Which one's the girl?"

It was a completely understandable question for both Espadas were wearing cloaks that concealed most of their clothes and _distinguishable_ features.

"I am!" Nel waved at the human, smiling. "I'm the girl!"

"Shut up!" snapped Uryu and drew his bow. Both humans were preparing to fight, but Ichigo was losing interest rather fast. Their human spirit force was nowhere near his own. He could easily take them down, even with holding back under his spiritual pressure restraining cloak.

"Come Nel," he said and used sonido to move high up in the air to get away from them.

"Awww, don't you want to play with them?" She asked, giving him another pouty face as she leapt up to join him.

"No," he replied, and gazed at his surroundings. They were right in the middle of the huge cluster of homes. "Let's go to a place where there aren't humans. It's getting too dark now to make out much. I doubt I'll find anything right now." He and Nel then started walking in mid air, trying to make out a place where there weren't many lights. Finally, a place far to their left was a great black patch suddenly popped into view.

"Let's go."


	4. Cloaking Power

Thanks for the reviews. They make me want to keep on writing.

Now to tell you some much needed information. This is set two or three years after Aizen's defeat/death and Ichigo's death. (no I won't tell you so much that it gives away the plot) I got a question on why Uryu Ishida didn't recogize Nel's name. Well, for a few good reasons, 1. he only knew Nel for a short time 2. he never saw her in adult form 3. it was a long time ago. (I'll slip by that one) haha

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>We all have a mask we wear. We hide our faults and emotions behind it.<strong>

**When the mask finally breaks, will the end come?**

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><p>Rukia sighed. It was her dumb luck that had brought her back here. She never wanted to see those small roof tops or hear the sounds of the city. It all reminded her of him.<p>

Renji seemed to be thinking along the same lines because he said (more to himself then to her), "And here I thought the hollows were heartless."

She was sure he was referring to their commanding officers. Yes, it had been heartless of them to send both her and Renji back, knowing full well the emotional ties they both had to this place. But then, no one else knew this place better than they did.

A wave of anger and grief threatened to overwhelm her senses, but she resisted. Rukia straightened and looked at her friend.

"Come on Renji, the sooner we destroy the arrancar, the sooner we can leave,"

"Right…yeah. Can you sense it?"

Out of the two of them, Rukia did have the better spiritual sensing capabilities. She closed her eyes to help concentration. But she needn't have bothered.

"Oh wow," she breathed and Renji gave her a look of alarm. "They weren't kidding about strength." Rukia allowed herself a smile. "I'm thankful you know bankai."

"By the look on your face, I'd say I'm thankful too," Renji's laugh was somewhat forced. "Is he that strong?"

Rukia kicked him in the shins.

"Of course he is you idiot! Why do you think would I be so serious otherwise?"

"Alright, alright!" He yelped, hopping on one foot. "Let's just go!"

"Wait just one minute, there's no need for that yet," said an overly cheerful voice. Rukia groaned inwardly. She knew that evil voice anywhere.

Renji and Rukia turned to an all too familiar figure who was walking on air towards them.

"You know," Rukia said, letting her temper getting the better of her, "I'm just not going to be surprised anymore. What is it _this_ time, Kisuke Urahara? Did Aizen rise from the dead? Are sinners from Hell invading? Is Chappy the Bunny really Gin Ichimaru in disguise? No, wait! Better yet! Are you and Yoruichi are getting married?"

Kisuke fluttered his fan, giving her a pitying look.

"My my, Ms Kuchiki, you have no sense of humor!"

"Just state your business you cheating shop keeper!"

He laughed at her and closed his fan with a snap.

"Very well," he said and then looked at Renji, "Why don't you both come over and have some tea at my place. Uryu, Sado, and Orihime are already engaging the Arrancars as we speak."

"Look Urahara," Renji began, looking slightly annoyed himself. "We came here to get this finished quickly—"

"Come visit and I'll forgive half of what you owe me."

Rukia shot an angry glance at Kisuke, and then at Renji. Just what sort of debt had that idiot gotten himself into?

"I—I suppose we could stay a little bit…" he stammered.

"Then it's settled!"

_How did I end up in this mess?_

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><p>A few minutes later she, Renji, and Kisuke were seated cozily around a table. Renji made polite conversation while Rukia kept her stony silence; Quite determined to remain in her bad mood.<p>

"These are the first arrancar to show their faces after Aizen's defeat, so why now?" Renji was saying, sipping his tea while the shop owner fluttered his fan a bit.

"One can only guess… Arrancars and Vasto Lords prefer to keep to themselves in Hueco Mundo. It is a rather rare occasion that we have the honor of encountering one here in the World of the Living. Yoruichi has gone to keep an eye on our new visitors. So all we can do is wait for her return."

"Hold on," Rukia could not help voicing her thoughts, forgetting her bad mood, "I thought you said Uryu and the others are taking care of the Arrancars as we speak!"

"Well now, so I did," Kisuke said in his sing song voice.

"But they should be able to handle an Arrancar with ease! I was sure that its spiritual pressure was no higher than that 9th Espada I fought back in Hueco Mundo!"

"Alas, I fear that is not the case," his voice lowered to a more serious tone that grabbed the two Soul Reapers' attention.

"What are you saying?" Renji started to ask, "Just what exactly are we dealing—" He was cut off as a cry for help came from the front door.

"Orihime!" Rukia exclaimed and rushed to her friend as she stepped through the front door. Sado came in next, supporting Uryu who wasn't looking too good.

"What's wrong with him?" Renji asked, not bothering to rush forward as Rukia had done.

"I'm fine!" The Quincy snapped, his glasses flashing, "Just stunned by spiritual pressure. No big deal."

Rukia was surprised. Of all people to be stunned by spiritual pressure, Uryu would be last person whom she would expect, much less admit to have gone through the experience. Orihime was busy explaining to Kisuke what had happened.

"They didn't seem to want to fight, so they left and Uryu gave chase. That's when the male Arrancar turned back and released a real thick amount of spiritual pressure directly to stop him from following. Uryu was nearly crushed and fell. That's when Sado caught him and I tried my best to reject as much damage as I could. He should be fine in an hour or two."

"That's good to hear," chimed Kisuke and gave Uryu a hard pat on the back, ignoring his gasp of pain. "Come on in and have some tea, Yoruichi is making sure your efforts weren't in vain."

"Is _everyone_ determined to insult me tonight?" moaned Uryu, but no one was listening.

"It's been a while, Rukia," said Orihime cheerfully to her as they were being poured tea by Tessai whom Rukia had not noticed up until this point.

"Yes, it has," she replied, a little more stiffly then intended.

"Have you been promoted?" the girl's eyes had found the badge Rukia had tied neatly to her arm.

_She doesn't miss a thing…_

"Yep, I'm the lieutenant of Squad 13," Rukia felt her face blush and she allowed herself a proud smile. "My hardworking skills finally paid off. Brother was very pleased!"

"Congratulations!" Orihime smiled, but Rukia could not help but notice that it was a rather weak smile.

"Is something bothering you, Orihime?"

"Nothing that important, Rukia," her smile vanished and she suddenly looked grieved, mirroring how Rukia felt on the inside. A tear trickled down her cheek. "It's just that…since Ichigo died…things haven't been the same. Tatsuki moved away soon afterwards. She keeps in touch…but she's so busy now that we hardly have time to say 'hello' and 'good bye'…." Orihime's pity story was cut off as Rukia gave her a comforting hug.

"You should have told me sooner so I could come visit! If you need company or a shoulder to cry on just say so!"

The magic words were spoken and Orihime started bawling into Rukia's shoulder while that latter patted her head in a comforting manner.

By now, they were all crowded around the table. Orihime had recovered herself and was sitting next to Uryu, sniffing and blowing her nose.

"Well, Urahara?" Renji asked, "How long are you gonna keep us in the dark? Just who are these arrancar anyway?"

"Now now, don't you like being kept in suspense?" said Kisuke, whipping a fan out of nowhere and hiding his obvious grin behind it.

"NO!" shouted Renji, Uryu, and Rukia in unison. Kisuke sighed something that sounded suspiciously like "no sense of humor" before getting to the point.

"Alright then… to make this easier to understand, you have to first understand something. We're dealing with no mere arrancar. The current amount of spiritual pressure our two friends are generating is give or take around 9th Espada level as Ms. Kuchiki so nicely pointed out. Yet they defeated a highly trained Quincy without so much of exchanging a single blow. Tell, me Uryu…were the two arrancars wearing anything that looked…odd?"

Uryu shook his head.

"If they were, I couldn't see because they were wearing heavy looking cloaks. There was defiantly something odd about their spiritual pressure because it didn't feel like any normal arrancar, but I couldn't detect much else."

"Heavy cloaks…." Kisuke mused, his fan fluttering absentmindedly. "Well, I suppose they were just crudely fashioned out of a fabric that's like Seki-Seki stone. It's very rare. Material like that can only be found in Hueco Mundo. I'd made one myself back in the days of the Soul Society before I was banished. Quite useful for concealing one's spiritual pressure…"

His smile started to grow wider, causing all present to wonder about his sanity.

"Tell me," he said to the table at large, "Have any of you ever encountered an Espada above the ranking 4?"

Sado nodded, Rukia flinched, and Renji frowned.

"Yeah," the tattooed Soul Reaper replied, "We faced Yammy. He was Espada 0…we were all hopelessly out matched. His spiritual pressure kept on getting bigger. It was like….facing five captains using Bankai all at once."

"It took Captain Kuchiki and Captain Zaraki a while to kill him," Sado spoke for the first time, his deep voice filling the room.

"Brother was just doing his job," Rukia said, although her pride in her older sibling was evident.

"Well, I don't know if any of you knew this," Kisuke interrupted, suddenly snapping his fan shut, "but all Espada ranking 3 and above were all originally Vasto Lords long before Aizen became involved. As you can imagine, their power was already incredible to start with. If my calculations are correct (and they usually are), my estimating how much power can be suppressed until it leaks out uncontrollably I am therefore assuming one of the arrancars (that is currently here in Karakura) has the spiritual pressure between an Espada rank 2 and an Espada rank 1."

There were gasps of horror and shock all around the tiny table.

"Th—that strong?" Rukia breathed, and then, almost dreading the next answer asked. "But what about the other arrancar?"

"Ah…" Kisuke chuckled nervously, as if he wanted to avoid the question. "Ms. Kuchiki, if I were to go by the same estimation…er…how do I put this…ah…" he cleared his throat then said, "Imagine Yammy in his strongest form of resurrection and the power he generated." Everyone's face was either paling or turning green, not liking where this comparison was leading. But the worst was yet to come.

"Now," he took a sip of tea, "Imagine someone with three times that amount of power…in his normal state without using resurrection. "

The reactions, if it hadn't been so serious, would have been hilarious. Rukia just sat on her mat with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Renji fell backwards, all tension drained. Orihime spat out her tea she had been drinking. Sado raised an eyebrow while Uryu rose to his feet and grabbed Kisuke by the shirt neck.

"Do you even realize what you're saying?" The Quincy barked, wanting to dismiss this reality as a lie or a joke. Kisuke let out another nervous chuckle but it only made Uryu's grip tighten. "You're saying that this mere Vasto Lord is stronger than Aizen!"

"Of course I'm saying that!" came the strangely amused shopkeeper's reply, "Aizen probably avoided this Vasto Lord because it was more powerful than he…or this is probably one of his creations that met his expectations a little too highly. But no matter where it came from, this is the strongest foe we'll ever probably live to face."

Renji then swore so badly that it made Uryu release Kisuke out of surprise. Rukia stood up.

"Renji, the Head Captain should be informed immediately!" she said, slipping her Zanpakutou through the tie around her waist. There wasn't a moment to lose. Not with an Arrancar more powerful than Aizen running lose around the World of the Living. Yet the prospect of having yet another war was not so welcome. Too many people had died….nine people too many…

A new voice brought Rukia out of her thoughts and caused Renji to freeze on his path to the door.

"Yo Kisuke!"

"Well well, Yoruichi! You've returned!"

A beautiful dark skinned woman with purple hair entered the room. Walking over to Kisuke in a graceful, cat-like manner, her yellow eyes gleamed with pleasure at the sight of her old friend.

"Not too late, am I?"

"Considering you've only been gone only 23.4 minutes, I'd say you're 1.6 minutes early."

"Excellent! And what are these kiddos doing here?" she strode over to Renji and Rukia. "Did I miss a reunion notice or something? Ah…no wait. Let me guess. They must be the force tasked to deal with the Arrancars!"

"Long time no see short-stuff!" She then said gleefully, messing Rukia's hair like a child. Rukia bit her lip; she disliked her height being made fun of or the source of a nick name.

"I haven't seen you in a while, pineapple-head! How's Head Captain Yamamoto doing?" she had turned to Renji, who amazingly did not react to her poking fun at his hair style.

"F—fine…" was all he could stammer and suddenly wore an expression that would have been appropriate if he'd been hit on the head.

_Of all the times for him to be acting like an idiot!_

But before Rukia could elaborate on her lecture for Renji, Yoruichi turned back to Kisuke, all cheeriness suddenly gone.

"I couldn't get too close without the risk of being detected. But I must admit I'm rather surprised with the way those two Arrancar behave. They aren't concerned about being discovered by us or the Soul Society. Nor are they aren't concerned with Hollows, Soul Reapers, or human souls. From what I overheard, it seems that they are looking for something…but didn't specify on what it was. The one with the monstrous spiritual pressure seems to be the leader by the way the other looked to him for permission. He told his subordinate that they would "wait until daybreak" until they would resume their search…" Yoruichi paused, and then spoke as an afterthought, "Your hunch about their cloaks was correct. It's exactly like yours though not very stylish. But then, we should actually be thankful they are wearing those cloaks in the first place…"

"Why?" Renji interrupted. "If what you said is true and they don't care about being discovered, why bother to hide their spiritual pressure?"

"Because," said Yoruichi patiently, "If they weren't wearing those cloaks, most of the humans here would _die _in a most unpleasant way from the sheer power of their spiritual pressure. Either that or the most unlikely answer which is they don't want their identities known…"

The little room was completely silent for a minute or two before Rukia snapped out of her stupor.

"Renji! Come on! We've got to report this _now_!"

"You're right," the lieutenant answered and followed Rukia in her mad dash to open a Senkaimon.

"Be back before dawn!" Kisuke shouted after them, "We'll keep an eye on the situation!"

The lights dimmed as the Senkaimon doors slid open and two Hell Butterflies trailed in the Soul Reapers' wake.


	5. Promising Fun

I am so sorry for the delays...but here it is. I've actually written ahead of this, but had to stop because I was getting carried away.

Anyway, this is a juicy 4,075 words. I hope you enjoy it. My brain was frying with ideas and nearly melted.

If there's any large grammar mistakes, then it's due to the fact that I wrote this in a rush. I really love getting reviews, so keep em coming. :]

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>Time is short, there's no going back.<strong>

**What is it we need, what is it we lack?**

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><p><em>He was alone. <em>

_Not a friend was left. They had all been killed for a simple petty reason._

_And he was going to die like them. His will as broken as his body and defeated as his heart. Now all that remained was the simple fact that he was going to die._

_Why though? Why must it be this way? After all he sacrificed for, all the people he had saved, and in the end, he couldn't even save himself. Those who he'd protected had turned their swords upon him. _

_It wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It shouldn't have ended this way._

_He was stumbling to a river along a path he knew all too well. The crumbled remains of buildings to his left were new to the landscape, but it was of little concern. After what they'd all been through, it was a miracle that the entire city wasn't turned to dust. His legs shook from the pain and loss of blood. He could hardly make out the river as his vision suddenly blurred and felt himself falling forwards. Relenting, he let his beaten body tumble to the ground and felt himself stop on the grassy bank, near where the water was gushing by._

_Death was near at hand. _

_His back was on the earth and his paling face was staring at the heavens. Slowly, a sense of ironic humor coursed through his mind and he laughed, not caring that he coughed up blood while doing so. _

_This was how it should have been, all those years ago. What was it? Six or seven? _

_He laughed the humorless laugh again. The cuts on his face moved and bled as he opened his mouth to speak, but pain had little meaning in this odd sense of defeat._

"_I suppose I couldn't escape death after all, mom…" His voice was raspy and filled with emotion. He was speaking to someone could would never hear his voice again, yet this did not sway him in the slightest. "I wish your sacrifice for me had not been in vain…yet here I am, about to die in the same place you died, labeled a monster—very much like the one you were killed by…"_

_Tears mixed with the blood. His vision was darkening._

"_I—I wish I could have done so many things…mom…compared to so many people I've known, I've barely lived…but despite all the things I wanted to do—I content with what I've done…dad…Karin….Yuzu… Your family is safe…mom…I was able to protect them until the end…"_

_He hacked up more blood. It was so painful to breathe….just getting air into his lungs was so hard…his movements were getting weaker…_

"_Mom…" His voice was now fearful and trembling, like a child. "I—I'm afraid…not of death…I'm just…just…afraid of dying alone…"_

_He felt his life force leaving and closed his eyes, waiting…almost welcoming the oncoming oblivion._

…

…

_The last thing he knew was that he was perfectly alone, no one was near him._

…

...

"Ichigo!"

He was dimly aware of someone shaking his shoulder.

"Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"

The voice kept getting louder…so loud…it hurt…

"Wha—who…" he mumbled and sat up. Daylight poked his bleary, sleep ridden eyes so that he could barely make out the figure inches away from his face.

"Oh—thank goodness…" Nel breathed a huge sigh of relief. She pulled back his hood so she could see his face. The single horn connected to his mask was poking out from underneath his covering like a dagger.

"Are you alright?" she said, concern flashing across her face. "You were clutching your head as if it gave you great pain…"

Ichigo shook his head only to have it throb annoyingly. His back was sore from leaning against a tree. Nel was crouched beside him. She quickly let go of his hood, withdrawing her arm and suddenly tucking it beneath her cloak, as if she feared she would get scorched by invisible flames.

"Was it your memories? Are they returning? Nel asked bluntly.

"They…" Ichigo struggled to find the right words for the horrible vision he had just witnessed, "They aren't exactly memories…I think—it's almost as if it's from another person's life…why is that?" he finished in a rush all the while hoping he hadn't sounded too crazy. But the reaction he got from Nel gave him even more questions to fill his brain.

She gave a look of pity. It was not a cruel, mocking look, it was just…sad. As if it caused her some sort of emotional pain.

"Because before you lived in Hueco Mundo, you lived here. The memories you see are from your previous life."

Ichigo blinked. That was more straightforward then he expected, not that he was surprised though, he knew all hollows had been originally human souls. Nel had told him back in Hueco Mundo that Hollows and Soul Reapers alike had all once been human. Yet he from what he knew, they lost most or all memories of their previous human lives.

"I see," he replied and hesitated for a moment. He knew she would not lie to him. From what Ichigo suspected, she had known him in his 'previous' life. But there was something wrong with that…since when do arrancars know humans? The very idea was absurd. Dare he ask?

"Do you know how and why I died?"

"Yes." There was no uncertainty or hesitation in her voice.

They held each other's gaze for a long while. Nel's pity look was gone, now it was simply blank.

"Well," he finally said, turning away from her and arching his back in an effort to stretch his groaning muscles. "Don't tell me."

He heard her stand up and her cloak slide on the ground, away from him.

"I did not expect you to say that," her voice was still subdued, but Ichigo caught every word. He turned and strode over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, the same way she'd done to him when they first met.

"I do not blame you, most would want to know about their past…but then, I am not 'most'..." The Zero Espada was certainly not to be lumped with "most". He was different, and something told him he always had been.

Nel looked at him as if she had cold water dumped over her head. It took her a moment before a large grin appeared on her face.

"You wish to find out on your own…" she chuckled and placed her hand on his shoulder in return.

"You gave me a name," he said quietly, "saved me from despair, and showed me many wonderful things. You do not fear me or my power—yes Nel," he smirked as Nel's checks began to flush slightly with his abrupt praise, "I know you must have trained hard to possess enough power just to get near me in Hueco Mundo…I won't forget that."

"Ichigo, I…"

"You don't have to say anything," he brushed her comment aside. "That's all I request…."

They stood there, grinning, both with a hand on the other's shoulder, and both slightly closer in heart than before. Or rather, as close as one could get, since where their hearts used to reside were now currently empty holes.

"Shall we go searching, Primeria Espada?" the boy asked, his hand releasing his friend in order to pull his own hood up.

"Sounds fun, Cero Espada…"

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><p>"This does look like fun, so much fun I think I'll be tempted to join once it gets started."<p>

"You'd better not—not yet at least. We have to be sure if it worked."

"Aw, so harsh! Even now ya doubt your own abilities…"

Two people were whispering from a high spot up in the air, completely invisible to all surrounding them. One had thin, silver hair that draped over his narrow eyes. His hand was resting on a short sword in a careless manner. But perhaps his most cunning feature was his eerie smile that gave the impression of a fox closing in on his prey. The other person had golden hair and a slender figure: Beautiful to behold and without blemish but for an ugly, jagged scar that ran across her waste. An odd sword frame was slung behind her back. Despite her apparent quiet manner, she had a bold, intimidating presence that would cause the most courageous to falter and shake in their sandals.

A kidō kept them both hidden from friend and foe, for reasons more than obvious. They both were dressed in hakama of the purest white, the signature clothes of the Espada.

"I did not predict the side effect, which could mean that we are wrong. One simple mistake will doom this to failure. Our sacrifices would have been in vain. If that is the case, he is not the one," said Tier Harribel in her usual solemn undertone. Her eyes were focused on the ground far below. They had been up here for hours, waiting. Her patience was not lacking, but then there was an exception she made for her companion.

"Now now, don't fret. He's the one…" Gin Ichimaru chuckled softly as he shifted his crouched position to peer where Harribel was looking. "I ain't be one to disrespect the dead n' all that, but _Butterfly-Aizen-Boy_ did find the right kid for the job despite failing to see that he himself was _too_ weak for this job."

"I still don't think the 'kid' will come with us willingly…even if the Soul Reapers _did_ kill him. I have not made my presence known in Hueco Mundo. I am a threat to him. And you are hardly the trusting, persuading person who could hardly convince a mere child."

"Shame you keep on thinkin like a hollow, y' forget that he'll still retain some of his personality so he's not entirely unreasonable. And even if he doesn't feel up to talkin, I'll skip the speech and make him come."

"That is _not_ the way I wanted it," Harribel shifted her piercing emerald glare to Gin's hunched figure. His was avoiding her eyes and kept his gaze searching the town below. "We're in this together, whether we want to…or not. 'Perfect beings' aside, we should be choosing of our own freewill to do what must be done."

"What's wrong with havin a bit o' fun along the way?" asked Gin innocently, a wicked smile creeping up the corners of his mouth.

"Everything…" she replied and cast her stare back earthwards.

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><p>The air was cold, but Nel and Ichigo did not mind, it was still warmer here then the sandy deserts of Hueco Mundo. They both were standing in mid air, debating on where to go next to search for places where Ichigo's memories would come back.<p>

"I want to go back to the river!" Nel was pouting, crossing her arms in a rather immature attempt at sincerity. They had been bickering about this for ten minutes straight.

"We've already been to the river," said Ichigo for the umpteenth time, folding his arms as well and succeeding to look more serious now that he was frowning. "Why don't we try someplace where you won't get distracted by fish?"

"Hmph!" was all she said in reply, conceding at last, well, almost. "Just make it quick, king, then we will go back to the river."

"Ugh, fine…" the latter finally gave in, tired of arguing. It was pointless; she always won whatever verbal fight they got into. Ichigo didn't mind, too much. She might be right this time anyway; there _was_ something about that river that caused him to remember a part of his past.

He started walking in a direction away from the river, his feet making odd echoing sounds with each step on air. Nel, forgetting to be grumpy, had started skipping ahead of him, squealing with glee as she marveled at a large building where a lot of young humans seemed to be gathered.

Ichigo on the other hand, took one look at the building and felt a rather sharp pain pierce the back of his head. He winced, but ignored it on the most part and ended up dragging Nel towards the busier part of the Human town. They had almost arrived when a bright blue arrow shot out from below and narrowly missed.

"Ah," Nel giggled, tugging Ichigo's cloak and pointing down at the street, "It's that depressed Quincy!"

"Oh, him again?" Ichigo was faintly amused by the efforts that human was making. "How troublesome…" The Quincy had suddenly appeared behind them both while they were looking down.

"Got you! Licht Regen!"

A predictable shower of arrows proceeded to rain down upon the two Arrancars who in return used sonido to easily avoid the onslaught.

"Why is he even bothering?" Nel asked Ichigo who shrugged. The Quincy was looking at him hard, sizing him up, his bow drawn and at the ready in case Ichigo decided to attack. What was rather more noticeable was the fact that he was standing on a glowing platform.

"Perhaps…" Ichigo said to Nel pensively, "Perhaps he wishes to stall us…it's as if he's waiting for back up or something. Somehow, I don't think he would attack us alone, not after what I did to him yesterday."

"A diversion…" Nel muttered and he glimpsed her hand twitch towards her sword, tucked away beneath her cloak. "Maybe I should take him a little more seriously and finish him."

"Don't," Ichigo was now curious as to what the Quincy was plotting. It would be interesting to see what the human would try next. "Let's see what happens…it might be interesting and—" He turned to his partner sternly and said, "I thought _you_ said you didn't want to harm anyone while we visit!"

"But he's annoying and he's stalling us!"

Ichigo sighed. He didn't feel like pointing out that their bickering was stalling them more effectively then the Quincy ever could. Instead of continuing their…loud discussion, the head Espada turned to back to the human who was currently watching them argue with a suspicious expression plastered on his face.

"What's wrong, _Quincy_?" Ichigo asked in a voice that could only mean nothing but ill will, "You want another blast of spirit force to send you tumbling to your death?"

The Quincy pushed his glasses up his nose before replying calmly, "No, as a matter of fact I don't. The only reason why I'm here is to ask you to surrender."

There was a moment of silence. Then Nel cracked and started laughing hysterically, nearly losing concentration and almost falling to the ground. Disregarding his companion's embarrassing behavior, Ichigo replied in a cold voice, "Are you saying that if we don't want to get hurt, we'd better surrender now before your back up arrive?"

"You gasp the situation well, Arrancar…or should I say, Vasto Lord?" The Quincy narrowed his eyes, as if this was some great, notable fact. Ichigo however couldn't care less of this information.

"It doesn't matter what you humans call me, but if you _really_ want to know, then you are correct, I am a Vasto Lord—but I doubt knowing will make any difference."

For once, the Quincy didn't answer. Ichigo turned away from him and glanced at Nel whose laughter was more controlled.

"He must have great faith in his friends' abilities," Ichigo told her as she straightened herself into a more dignified position. "We shouldn't underestimate them. If they are as powerful as he is implying, we shouldn't let our guard down…"

He recalled Nel's warning of holding back against opponents far weaker than himself, less he kill many innocent bystanders.

"But if it really comes down to a fight, I'll move this to a less populated area. Then I will be able to go all out should the need arise."

Nel nodded, understanding.

"If you won't hold back, then I will do the same." She stated in a serious voice. "I presume you wish to let the battle come? You want to fight, don't you?"

Ichigo smirked. "I didn't know you could read minds…"

"Your mind isn't hard to read. It's like an open book. Besides, you've never encountered a challenge where you are faced with a formidable opponent."

The smirk was replaced with a scowl. "Yeah, well…let's just wait and see if they're worth our time, it'll be boring if this all comes to nothing."

Though Ichigo would have preferred to keep on searching, the prospect of a strong fighter was sorely tempting. Yet at the same time, he didn't want to fight unless it was for a good reason. The simple pleasure for fighting alone would not suffice for drawing blood. It would be pointless bloodshed on both sides.

Nel was shouting something at the Quincy, but Ichigo wasn't bothering to listen. He yawned loudly then promptly lied down in mid air to take a nap. He hadn't exactly had a restful night after all and with his mind all cluttered with thoughts, the promise of sleep was quite welcome. The sounds of Nel laughing were growing fainter and fainter. It was only when he felt her prodding his side did he open his eyes again.

He had fallen asleep without realizing it. The sun had nearly hit its high mark. He was now also aware of several strong spirit forces now present that were unmistakably Soul Reapers.

Nel was practically dancing with glee when Ichigo had finally risen to his feet. It took him a moment to remember that he was still in midair, near the crowded part of the Human town. Surrounding them were six people in black kimonos and swords drawn. But what caught Ichigo's attention were the white coats they all seemed to be wearing. The Quincy was standing a further ways off with two other Soul Reapers whom Ichigo could barely make out.

"Oh," He sighed and glanced at Nel through bleary eyes, "Is this it?" His fellow Espada nodded in reply.

"Don't get too disappointed, they can also hide their spirit force like us."

"Then it really would be a good idea to switch locations to a less populated area."

"Shame…I really wanted to go back to that river…"

"We will, afterwards. I promise."

They looked at each other for a single moment, and then each in turn used sonido and slipping through the barrier, headed in the direction where the sun had risen. It was easy work finding a suitable place, despite the Soul Reapers giving chase. It too seemed that they did not wish to fight where Human souls would be at risk.

Ichigo casually sonidoed in the center of a large, empty field and waited for Nel to catch up. Perhaps he chose that particular space because it reminded him slightly of Hueco Mundo.

The first Soul Reaper to arrive was an old man with a long, sweeping beard. His spirit force felt hot and suffocating and Ichigo got the rather intriguing impression that he was the strongest. The second was a tall, serious looking man without any outwards emotions. The third Soul Reaper was a short woman with long braided pig tails. Her scowl hardened as she spotted Ichigo standing lazily, waiting for them to show up. The fourth and fifth arrived at the same time and what was curious about them was their swords. They both had pairs. The sixth Soul Reaper to arrive made up for his lateness with his size. He had the appearance of a large man with the exception of a wolf's head in place for a human's.

Nel arrived a few short seconds later, laughing happily, as for the reason why arrived five seconds afterwards. The Quincy was looking rather sour and by the way he kept giving Nel a death glare, Ichigo could only wonder what sort of insult she had bothered to throw at him. The two other Soul Reapers arrived with him, but they yet again kept their distance, wary of the enemy.

"Hello Soul Reapers!" said Nel cheerfully to the group at large, as if this was some sort of friendly gathering. "Before this gets down to cutting and impaling, I just wanna say that we came here peacefully and intended no harm. But since you're bound to your Soul Reaper duties and aren't going to believe us, I'll assume you won't tolerate any exceptions to your _rules_. Am I not right, Head Captain?" she added, smiling to the old Soul Reaper.

"You assume correctly," the old man huffed, his eyes narrowed at Nel who did not flinch under his harsh gaze. "And are we correct to assume that you're both are part of Aizen's former Espada?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am, although," she gestured to Ichigo, "he isn't. Didn't join up soon enough, yet he's an Espada all the same. Those with the strongest spirit force have always been branded with the number. Of course, the condition is one has to be much stronger than the previous successor. My name is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, formally Espada number 3, currently Espada number 1, and first in command under the Hollow king, a pleasure to make your acquaintance although a few of you I've already met." She bowed slightly, her pride now evident as she threw off her cloak, her white hakama standing out more than usual with her long green hair free to blow in the breeze. Her spirit force skyrocketed, causing the ground to tremble and seeming to shake the very air.

"I will try my best to make this fight last," She said kindly, drawing her sword and holding it loosely to her side, "And perhaps, if you're strong enough, you will have the honor of fighting him…"

All eyes turned to Ichigo who was standing motionless, his hood drawn low and arms folded. He hadn't bothered saying anything yet and intended to keep it that way. But Nel wasn't going to let that fall.

"Come on, King," she goaded and poked him in the chest. He batted her hand away, annoyed.

"If you insist," he grumbled, and then raised his voice so the Soul Reapers could hear him. "I'm the 0 Espada, nice to meet you. If you hurt Nel, I'll kill you."


	6. Holding Back

Hello. It's been a while. This may be a bit choppy because I just finished writing it. Blehhhhhhh.

Anyway, I just wanted to inform you all on somethin. You may (or may not) have noticed, but Ichigo's not quite in character. This is on purpose since he can't really remember who he is. But he's still Ichigo, so he still thinks like Ichigo and acts like him too, but probably more out of instinct than anything.

ALSO. I wanted to put that this isn't really much a a paring fic. My reason is because I SUCK at writing romance. I may sneak pieces or hints, but nothing more than that.

True story. The most romantic line I've ever written was in quote "They kissed."

Pretty sorry, huh? Ah well, there's plenty of paring fics out there, so go help yourselves.

If you were to ask who I would pair up in this, my answer would probably be ichixruki or ichixnel. But NEVER ichixhime. Everything about THAT pairing seems...wrong. ha ha. Gonna get some hate for that.

Keep on reviewing if ya want more.

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>I am alive. I am dead.<strong>

**This heart of mine beats for no one.**

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><p>The Soul Reapers stared at Ichigo with mixed looks of surprise, confusion, and wariness on their battle worn faces. It must have been unexpected for a Hollow to show signs of actually caring about what happens to his comrade.<p>

Ichigo himself was unimpressed with their reactions. Did they _really_ know nothing about Hollows? How weak, making assumptions like that! It didn't make much sense seeing as Soul Reapers controlled "life and death". Hollows were once human too, or did the Soul Reaper forget this small important fact? When hollows evolved, they gained or remembered some previous human traits, losing some of the monster within. It should be expected that those who have evolved far enough retain some human characteristics.

Careful not to betray any of these thoughts he was thinking, he yawned pointedly and motioned Nel to be off.

"Go have fun, I don't care how. Then we'll go to the river."

He expected Nel to rush off into battle, but she had turned back to him, face beaming and—to his annoyance—hugged him as tightly as possible while everyone looked on, their brains unable to comprehend this odd display of affection.

"THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH! YOU'RE SO NICE!" She squealed with pleasure at her sudden good fortune. Ichigo pushed her off, jerking his skinny body out of her grip.

"Yeah yeah, don't rub it in. Now leave me alone, I didn't sleep well and you're giving me a headache." It was true, partly; the headache was the result of his returning memories, not from Nel's jubilee. But he would never openly admit weakness in the face of enemies.

"Hey, I'm trying to break the tension and that's all you say to me?" Nel feigned sadness and turned away dramatically, pretending to be hurt by the rejection.

"Just make it fast and don't kill them, we did after all come here peacefully…"

"Oh, yes, a nice peaceful act of beating bad guys up,"

"Now you get it." He leaned back. There were two interesting twigs on the ground and he poked one with his finger. They were strange, so unlike the barren trees that were scattered around Hueco Mundo. Perhaps it was the thin air here in the World of the Living that lacked a comfortable supply of reishi was the reason for this odd mutation.

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><p>While Ichigo was absentmindedly contemplating twigs, Nel had dropped her child humor as she moved slowly towards the Soul Reapers, the sword at her side flashing in the sunlight.<p>

"Who wishes to fight me first? I do not mind if all of you attack at once," Her confident challenge was answered by the short Soul Reaper Captain.

"I've got this."

No one seemed to disagree with her decision, causing the bold Soul Reaper to grin.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

The short Soul Reaper captain had unsheathed her sword and called it out so fast, not so much as a second had gone by. Her weapon was a short, golden claw positioned on her right hand's middle finger and looked quite capable of disembowelment. The captain wasted no time in charging Nel who had in turn raised her own sword. Holding her ground, Nel planted her feet in a defensive position, easily embracing the impact the two swords made when the collided.

"I'm Captain of Squad 2 and Head of the Stealth Force, Soi-Fon. Pleasure to kill you, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck."

Nel narrowed her eyes, dislike etched all over her face.

"Stealth Force huh? I've seen what they do, you murderers. How sad… picking off those who are wounded or can't fight back. The manner in which you carry out your duties suggests you only live to kill. Those who only live the kill are not worthy of the privilege of fighting in battle."

"I assuming you're referring to the incident three years ago?" asked Soi-Fon, not bothering to deny the accusation Nel had tossed at her. She pressed harder into her small pointed blade, forcing the Vasto Lord to give ground. Nel mustered more strength into her sword and pushed back harder, tightening her grip on her sword. While their swords were locked, the Primeria aimed a kick at her opponent's gut, but the Soul Reaper quickly vanished and reappeared behind Nel. As the stinger claw aimed for the Espada's back, Soi-Fon failed to notice how quickly Nel redirected her kick resulting in a sickening crunch located somewhere around the lower ribcage. Knocked backwards, the Captain quickly recovered a few feet away, showing little signs of pain, if any. Nel was almost impressed.

"I heard Baraggan was defeated by you and a Vizard. I am far more powerful then he was, if you don't fight me at full strength, you will die easily and quickly," the Primeria's voice was strangely ominous and distant; the sword was lax in her hand. Soi-Fon scoffed.

"No use to go all out if your opponent doesn't even TRY!"

The stinger was poised and dived hungrily towards its prey.

It happened so fast. The deadly hand had only moved no more than an inch. The next moment, shards of metal were falling with a clatter on the ground. Using Sonido faster than anyone had ever seen, Nel had stepped up to Soi-Fon and crushed the claw with her bare hand.

A moment of shock, then the small Captain was hurtled back to the Soul Reapers like some unwanted rag doll. She landed hard in the dirt, leaving a rather large imprint for such a short person.

"_Please_," said Nel darkly, "if you don't take me seriously, you will lose your life. The power you fought with now couldn't even be considered a threat. Underestimation; I seem to recall you all made that same mistake with my predecessors."

Her words hung in the air for what seemed like years, mercilessly calling up unwanted memories of Aizen and his Arrancar followers and where that had lead to.

There was a blur of movement and Nel suddenly found herself face to face with a monster, raising her sword only just in time to block a heavy swing of a large blade. Her attacker was the largest Soul Reaper there; his animalistic snarling face was filled with determination.

"Captain of the Seventh Division, Sajin Komamura,"

The sword pressed harder into the Espada's blade, causing the ground crack. Despite being overpowered with brute strength, Nel found herself smiling.

"I like your style, Captain Komamura,"

* * *

><p>Ichigo sat silently observing the battle from a few yards off. He had tried to amuse himself by counting how many times he could have finished off Nel's opponent, but lost interest when the number reached 57.<p>

It was strange, he had never really fought a battle before this, yet he was so sure of his skill. No one had taught him how to fight as far as he could remember. But the instinct was there, and the knowledge and strategies were there too. It was as if someone had already shown him how, he just couldn't remember learning.

Remember… perhaps that was the reason. The memories…

_Ugh. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt. It doesn't make much sense anyway._

A movement out of the corner of his eye (or as far as he could see with his cloak on) startled him out of his thoughts.

"Mind if I join you?" The Soul Reaper Captain motioned to the ground and Ichigo shrugged. He couldn't care less.

The Captain wore a bright pink overcoat with a flashy design, a low hat to cast his eyes in shadow, and two hilts of swords that were pinned sloppily to his side. He smelled heavily of drink and his overall style was carefree. But what was most curious was his manner of speaking to Ichigo was more to an old friend rather than to an enemy.

"You're a very strange Soul Reaper," said the Cero Espada, unaware of how insensitive he sounded. Yet the odd Captain did not seem to mind.

"And you are a very strange Hollow," he responded, now looking Ichigo up and down with lazy eyes. Probably he was calculating his strength. But there wasn't much to see since Ichigo was entirely covered with his cloak. The only interesting think to look at was the long horn poking out from the hood and the lower half of his face.

"Your spiritual pressure is quite unstable. It must be enormous considering how much oozes out even when you're concealing it. Why bother wearing it?" The Soul Reaper gestured to the cloak, "It doesn't conceal you, so it's worthless in line for stealth. Or perhaps you prefer to keep the exact size of your spiritual pressure a secret?"

A flicker of annoyance passed through Ichigo's mind. He didn't like the word 'ooze'.

"I wear this all the time, even in Hueco Mundo." The Espada replied, fingering the rough fabric. "I was told that my normal spirit force killed everything within _three miles_."

"I see…" the Captain chuckled a bit, "So that's why you brought us out here three miles from any civilization. I wondered…so, why not take it off now?"

"No reason to,"

"Can I give you a reason?"

"If your blade can cut me, I'll consider it."

"I like a good challenge, so let's not try to be too laidback with the sparring, shall we?"

They both stood up simultaneously, only a yard apart. But neither moved an inch towards each other.

The air started crackling.

Nel must have sensed Ichigo's rising spirit force because she backed down from her current fight, only just avoiding being decapitated. She quickly used sonido to get behind the Cero Espada, sheathing her sword submissively.

The front of Ichigo's cloak parted enough so his hands were free to move, the white Espada uniform and long sword hilt were now visible for all to see. His massive spirit force started gushing through the small opening he had made in his cloak, drawing everyone's attention. It gave the aura of a hungry, murderous beast, so vicious and wild that if given the chance, would rip apart anyone who had the misfortune of getting in its way.

"Well?" Ichigo asked the Captain who had challenged him, "if you can cut me, I will fight you seriously and won't hold back."

"Hey hey, all I want is for you to take off your cloak. I'm interested to see how much power you've got."

"Then make me."

"I intend to."

The Captain disappeared in a swift movement of flashstep, drawing one sword as he did so. The Espada vanished in a loud crack of sonido, not bothering to draw his weapon. They both met in mid step, the Soul Reaper swinging his blade and the Vasto Lord swinging his arm in a rather (what appeared to those who could actually see them) as a lazy block. They both drew back instantly; landing a few yards away from each other, analyzing the latter's abilities.

"My my, that's quite impressive," the Soul Reaper complimented, grinning. "I must admit, that's the first time I've seen that technique—"

Ichigo said nothing but simply adjusted his battle stance and leapt forwards, this time on the offensive. He vanished for a heartbeat and reappeared directly above his opponent slashing his arm in a downwards motion, as if he were about to slice the Soul Reaper in half with his mere limb. The Captain's sword was in the right hand down at his side, there was no time for him to block. But Ichigo was not fooled by this 'chance', and was not surprised when the left arm (holding the second sword) rose swiftly to the defense.

"As I was saying," said the Captain, as if Ichigo wasn't currently trying to snap his sword in two, "the way you protect your body with a thick layer of spiritual pressure even surprises me. My zanpakuto can't even reach your skin."

His comment caused a few murmurs from the Captain, all but the Head Captain and Nel were somewhat taken aback. Even Uryu, the Quincy, looked somewhat stupefied. The two Soul Reapers beside him, a short dark haired woman and a tall red headed man were trying to usher him farther away from the stifling amount of spirit force that was starting to rise even higher.

"To some extent, yes," the Cero Espada replied, his tone was careless as he added in the same voice, "you're impatient."

Ichigo was referring to the fact that his opponent's right handed sword had started to sneak up to the clasp of his cloak.

"I know when a fight is going to last a long time," the Captain with a bad sense of style chuckled, "Although I should of told you this before we started this little duel, I don't fight serious until the challenger does the same."

_Ah, a kindred spirit._

The blade was in such a position that if Ichigo drew back, he would rip the clasp. So he remained, stuck, with his right arm pressing hard against the left sword and his left arm clutching the right sword.

He joined in with his enemy and started to laugh. Loudly. Insanely. Then he stopped. Everyone was holding their breath. Waiting for the storm to break.

"Well, judging by the fact that you caught me and also taking into the account that_ I'm_ impatient too..."

It was no more than a whisper, yet everyone could hear him.

"_You win_."

The loud snapping noise of metal breaking could be heard, so could the tearing of cloth. At once, everyone was blasted backwards (or at least a few steps) with the sudden outburst of monster, roaring around the Vasto Lord, shielding him from view behind a dark red veil. But as soon as it had been released, it was contained yet again, melting back into the body a demon. For it was either monster or ghost that stood before them all now. Fate had a wicked sense of humor, their past deeds always coming back to haunt them.

The orange spiky hair flashed mockingly in the sunlight, a horn crafted into the side of a mask jetted out threateningly, his white hakama stood out like a beacon, the long, thin sword at his side no more than a place for resting one's hand. His smile scorning those who stared, the yellow and black eyes flashed from face to face as if looking for something.

Ichigo Kurosaki stood before his murderers, although he himself did not remember being murdered.

There was one who seemed to be able to tolerate his spirit force more than the others, and it was she who spoke first, who screamed. Her gray, purple eyes were hurt, confused, and overjoyed. She managed to stumble forwards a few steps towards the one whom she never thought she'd see again.

"I—Ichigo…you're…YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"

The ghost, the demon, the one who had been murdered raised his eyebrows and scratched the back of his head, looking slight amused.

"Aren't we all?"


	7. Please Remember Me

Hello. Sorry for such a short chapter and such a long wait. I'll try to update at least once a month, but can't promise anything faster due to my unreliable brain. I wanna thank you all for over 50 reviews after only six chapters. You guys always make my day when you review. I feel bad when I can't update as fast. Speaking of which, I'll be "correcting" all my mistakes in the previous chapters so if you get notified about "updates", don't get excited. I'm just correcting all my grammar errors. lol

If this seems rushed to you, it is. I stopped writing at 3:40 am. BLEHHHHHHH. So pressured. XD

RANDOM NOTE: I haven't been very...uh, specific with how much time has passed. So here's a briefing. Ichigo woke up in Hueco Mundo about three days after he 'died'. He stood (more or less) in the exact same spot for roughly one year and seven months. As to why he did that, it was due to his adjusting to his 'vasto lord' body and unstable power. And besides, it took Nel quite some to avoid the murders of Arrancar, then to figure out that there was only one left, then to train and get enough power to be able to approach the mass of unstable energy coming from Ichigo. During the time where they both wandered around Hueco Mundo Nel taught him about the world since his memory with speech wasn't too good. (if you look back, Ichigo only says simple sentences when you first meet him) The amount of time they spent together was one year and three months before finally traveling to the World of the Living.

Love you all. -Ichi

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>This is my heart, it is yours to have.<strong>

**It will endure the strongest of storms and the sadness of departure.**

**And maybe, if you're lucky, you'll see me again.**

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><p>Ichigo picked up his fallen cloak and examined the new rip, seemingly oblivious to how his every move was being closely observed. He turned back to his partner who looked quite unaffected by recent turn of events.<p>

"Sorry Nel, you gave this to me and I broke it…I meant to take better care of it…" he was so sincere in his apology that the Primeria looked sympathetic.

"Please don't apologize, king. You'll just have to hold the clasp until I can fix it."

"Oh. Right…" He folded the cloth neatly in his arms and bent down to pick up a twig from the ground. "This looks funny," the Cero Espada said to Nel as he held the small piece of wood up to the sunlight. Ichigo entertained himself for a moment, swinging the thin branch around experimentally when someone interrupted his fun.

"Ichigo Kurosaki…"

The Vasto Lord tilted his head to one side, looking blankly at the speaker.

"Interesting…" he replied, lowering the twig to his side, "perhaps what I'm looking for has been in the Soul Society all this time…"

This person, their cold manner, and that proud look concealing a mess of emotions…yes, he knew this person…and yet he didn't.

Another Soul Reaper (not a captain) came into his line of vision, moving closer towards the one who had just spoken his name.

There it was again! That feeling like he knew this person, yet there was no recollection or memory. And when she spoke, it was like someone was sending ice cold water down his spine.

"How—how can you still be alive?" said the raven haired Soul Reaper, her voice timid yet loud enough to be heard, "It's impossible…"

Ichigo blinked, his head becoming even more muddled.

"Impossible—what do you mean by that? Are you trying to reject my very existence, Soul Reaper?"

His voice was hard, almost angry. For some reason, the thought people denying him the right to live gave him great offence.

Everyone was shifting uncomfortably. Ichigo's spiritual pressure was growing more and more unstable. It was impossible for anyone to get any closer. Even Nel looked unsettled.

The twig that the Vasto Lord was holding was dropped and stomped upon. Dry earth beneath his sandals cracked and was turned to dust as aftershocks pulsed through the ground. All around, hands grasped swords, preparing for what most knew would be a suicidal fight. Ichigo drew a deep breath, his head honing in on random targets.

"Fear," he growled in a low, almost animalistic manner, "I can smell it in the air. The stench of it drives us to do what we do. It ties us to instinct and emotion. It was the fear of power that drove all but one away from my empty existence. But as I look back now, perhaps it was my own fear that shunned those, not my power."

He paused, turning back to the raven haired Soul Reaper.

"But that is of the past now, small Soul Reaper, and it is the present that I am." Ichigo's tone lost its anger, only a sense of dead purpose remained.

"I have lost something, something that makes me who I am…and perhaps you can give me the answers I need. So tell me this. It appears that you knew me before I left this world. Why is that?"

There was absolute silence following that simple statement. He and seen a few mutterings between the Soul Reapers while he'd been speaking, but now it seemed everyone, be Soul Reaper or Quincy, was currently dumbstruck.

What it something he said that was shocking for a hollow to do? Or perhaps he used too many words they couldn't understand? Nel had taught him a few big words like 'masochist' and 'nonsensical' in the long time he spent with her in Hueco Mundo. For whatever reasons, the Cero Espada didn't care too much and just waited patiently, his yellow eyes searching his enemy's eyes as they widened.

"Y—you…are you saying that you can't remember? That the 'thing' you've lost is your _memory_?"

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><p>"They ain't gonna come, not yet at least," said Gin, his smile slightly disappointed at the view before him. "That won't be fun."<p>

"Why so glum?" Harribel asked, arching an eyebrow, "This was never meant for your entertainment. All you've wanted to do is have fun, ever since that Soul Reaper woman died. Now you're just hiding from your problems, not solving them."

Gin ignored his partner.

"I don't think they know yet, why he's got so much power. It's kind of troubling, how we were the only ones who figured it out." His voice had become scornful towards his former comrades. "It's so obvious…"

"The things that are obvious are the things we tend to overlook," stated Harribel wisely, her arms were folded in a sincere manner, quite the opposite to the carefree conduct Gin always displayed.

"There might be—complications if the kid suddenly remembers what happened…"

"That would be bad. Especially since he's not even able to tap into over half of his Spiritual Pressure—if his memory returns all at once and it get's released, not even the Jigoku Osama could stop him."

Gin laughed at this.

"Now that would be fun to watch!"

"You'd die before anything interesting happened."

"Yeah, well…besides that…"

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><p>Rukia could not, would not believe it. All that time, telling herself to forget the bond they made, try to forget that he was dead, and that it was all her fault. And yet, here he was, standing no more than five yards away, looking directly her eyes, his gaze burning into her own until she had to look away.<p>

Familiar teachings popped into her head.

Hide your emotions.

Don't get attached to humans.

Do your duty or die trying.

No matter what form it takes, kill the hollow.

Don't cry.

A single tear slid down the cold cheek of Rukia Kuchiki. It hurt, that unhealed wound in her heart—first Kaien and now Ichigo. She was cursed, she knew it. Always unable to save those she cared about. Those she was closest to.

Ichigo and Rukia had been more than friends, but they were not lovers either. Their bond was a hard thing to describe. From the moment the sword of fate had fallen, their lives had changed. They'd endured so many hardships. He saved her from her execution, she saved him from himself. Their friendship was so strong…was that why it hurt so much? She'd failed to protect him, and now he'd forgotten her. There was…are no words to describe how much her heart was bleeding.

She had once forgotten him; everyone had that horrible time where her very existence had been erased. The whole world had faded to black. But he remembered her. He found her. Made her remember…

Now their roles were reversed. Now it was Ichigo who had forgotten her. And Rukia would not allow that. No matter if the Soul Society still wanted to kill him, right now, it was her fight—as long as he remembered her. Perhaps he would hate her for what she'd failed to do, that she failed to protect him. But she didn't care. As long as he knew, Rukia would be…somewhat at peace.

"Ichigo!" She found herself shouting, ignoring the sad look her brother was giving her. This was important. He had to know, he had to remember.

"Please! Don't you remember me? Think Ichigo! It's me! Rukia!"

The horn that was connected to his mask started trembling, like Ichigo was having trouble focusing on her. His yellow eyes, so different from his once amber eyes, were clouded as they narrowed and then suddenly widened.

"Rukia…"


	8. New Found Power

Hai again. Enjoy this faster update. :] Someone commented on how I always leave you on 'cliffhangers'. Well, they'd be right. It's fun to do that. XD

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>The fight is lost. It ends today.<strong>

**All hope is gone, and will never more exist.**

**Goodbye.**

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><p>"<em>This is nothing personal, as a matter of fact, we're grateful to you for what you've done. But orders are orders. We cannot go against Central 46."<em>

"_We're sorry…"_

"_Just give up."_

"_You can't win…you're already a dead man…"_

"_No escape…"_

"_We don't have a choice…"_

"_Die…"_

"_Too powerful…"_

"_We killed them…"_

"_YOU MURDERERS!"_

"_It's just you…"_

"_Vizard…"_

"_You can't run…"_

"_Please don't struggle…"_

"_SHINJI!"_

"_Hollow…."_

"_It'll be quick…"_

"_You can't keep on fighting…"_

"_You've lost."_

"_JUST GET GOING ICHIGO! RUN! JUST RUN AND DON'T LOOK BACK!"_

"_Ichigo Kurosaki…_

"_You're already dead…why do you still fight?"_

"_You're making this worse…"_

"_Die already…"_

_Alone…everyone died…he was next…so alone…_

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><p>It felt like something had smashed into his brain; his hands flew to his head automatically, gripping it tightly as if their forceful pressure would ease the throbbing. Ichigo grunted in annoyance. Why? Why was it when he tried to remember it hurt so much?<p>

"Ichigo, calm down… Your spirit force is going wacky…focus on me…"

Nel's voice seemed to come from very far away, but Ichigo focused on it all the same. His vision was clearing, the jumbled memories fading into the back of his brain.

He blinked, looking at her, easing his spirit force so that everyone could move again. Nel stared back, understanding dawning on her features. She drew her sword and slashed at the air beside them.

A garganta appeared where the sword had passed over. The two last Espada entered.

Ichigo turned back to the small raven haired Soul Reaper.

"Rukia, thank you... I found a bit of what I've lost. Now—" He spoke to everyone at large, 'don't bother following. Don't even think about. You will all forever be locked from Hueco Mundo." He stretched out his hand. It was glowing.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then golden chains appeared from nothing, millions of links, rattling as if they were being pulled by some unseen force. They began to bar themselves, constructing a barrier across the garganta.

Through all the clanking, the Soul Reapers could make out Ichigo's voice, floating down to them above the sounds of the chains.

"None of you have enough power to put up much of a fight except for the old man, I won't return. I'm sorry for alarming you."

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><p>The garganta snapped shut and all was silent. It seemed that the whole world was holding its breath. Waiting…<p>

For some reason, all heads turned towards Rukia's older brother; Byakuya. He stared coldly back at them all, daring someone to blame him.

"You told us he was dead, Kuchiki," said Shunsui, the captain that had ripped off Ichigo's cloak. "What really happened? You saw him…"

"Brother…"

Byakuya looked down at Rukia. She was seething with anger, barely able to contain her emotions.

"Take Renji and the Quincy if you want…" he spoke quietly. Rukia was taken aback at the sudden gesture, but nodded. She flash stepped away to her friends and they disappeared into the distance, running in the direction of Karakura.

Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the sixth squad, turned to face his fellow officers.

"I do not understand it either. I saw him bleed to death near the river. That is what I told you because that is what I saw."

"However," said the Head Captain, opening one piercing eye, "that does not explain why he is alive right now. You were sent to verify. Tell us, what else did you see? Why did you fail to give a full report?"

Byakuya stiffened.

"That _was_ the full report. When we came back to give the boy a proper funeral, there was no body. There were traces of spirit particles so we assumed he already passed on. His soul was cleansed so it was impossible for him to reincarnate as a Hollow…"

There was a long pause after this statement.

"_Something_ must have happened," stated Komamura, his yellow eyes glaring at Byakuya.

"Head Captain," said Ukitake, his voice trembling from fatigue (too much sun). "I think it would be—well more prudent if we _didn't_ report this to Central 46. We don't know what's going on, and it would be better not to make assumptions. We don't know if that really was Ichigo Kurosaki or not."

"Very well," agreed the Head Captain, "we will keep these events to ourselves until we know more about the situation. In the meantime, I am assuming Captain Kuchiki has sent a group to invade Hueco Mundo to gather information on the new Cero Espada."

Byakuya nodded.

"Then everyone will return to their squads until further notice."

* * *

><p>BAM!<p>

BAM!

BAM!

The old beaten door slid open reveling Kisuke Urahara, looking as if he had just woken up from a nap.

"Ah, Miss Kuchiki, Moocher, Uryu, come in."

"Moocher?" Renji spluttered, hating being addressed with that particular name. But Rukia gave him a swift kick on the shins and they all went inside.

Sado and Orihime were sitting at the round table when they entered and both looked up.

"You're back so soon?" Orihime asked, surprised. "What happened?"

A grunt from Sado confirmed that he was interested too.

"Oh…" Rukia began, not knowing where to start. "Well—"

"Kisuke," interrupted Uryu, "That really strong Vasto Lord…it was…we were…well, the Captains started fighting the weaker one at first, but then the other was talked into fighting. The cloaks…"

His voice trailed away; no longer able to continue.

"It was Ichigo. Ichigo's the powerful Vasto Lord," said Renji.

Orihime's eyes widened. Sado jumped to his feet. Kisuke hid his face behind his fan. Yoruichi let out a gleeful chuckle.

"My my, so Ichigo has returned has he?" said Urahara, smiling largely, "Well, that would explain a few things…"

"Returned and gone back," corrected Rukia, frowning in turn, "and what do you mean by 'explain a few things'?"

Kisuke let out a nervous laugh.

"It's only a theory mind you, and what I meant was the reason why his power skyrocketed."

"Is it something to do with his inner hollow?" asked Uryu.

"Perhaps…" admitted Kisuke, "we all know Ichigo's inner hollow possessed enough power to take down Ulquiorra, another Vasto Lord. But there has to be more to it than that. There has to be something that caused this sudden power growth…unless…unless…"

"Kisuke, it was destroyed," said Yoruichi calmly, knowing where this was headed. "Ichigo _himself _destroyed it. There's no way…"

"It's just that, Yoruichi," Urahara said, snapping his fan shut and turning to face his feline friend. "_He_ destroyed it. Therefore, it's highly possible that—"

"What are you talking about?" asked Rukia who was at a loss as to what the two former captains were talking about.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes.

"Kisuke is under the impression that Ichigo's newfound 'power source' is the _hogyuku_."


	9. The Hit List

I apologize for the long wait. Writer's block sucks. haha

Anyway, I hope this will quench those starved souls who are currently dying from a lack of updates.

Edit: Fanfiction glitched and somehow erased the title/poam. Weird...I'm trying to add it again so let's see if this works.

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

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><p><strong>I whisper. I speak. I shout. I scream.<strong>

**Return, come back and live again.**

**But my words are pointless when talking to the dead.**

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><p>I can hear your thoughts, yet you cannot hear mine. Your world is suffocated with a dense fog, causing your true power to slumber. Quietly waiting for the day…<p>

They wait for the sun to arise again, Ichigo. You cannot remain like this forever, entombed within your own soul. I hate it when you lose sight of your hopes, when you are confused and alone. Drowning yourself in pity never does anyone good.

Where is that strong will? Where is your real power? Where is that something inside of you that gave you the strength and courage to stand up against the impossible?

Answer me Ichigo. Speak to me. I hate being alone. Your voice will give me peace; the hope that I had all but lost when I found you.

They are coming for you. You are still alive, still a threat. No matter where you go, be it the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo, or even the Soul Society, they will come after you.

Please! Hear me! You must wake up! I cannot protect you alone. You must remember! You know who you are in your heart, Ichigo! Your heart is not lost yet!

Heart.

* * *

><p>"Itsygo~!"<p>

"Goading me will get you nowhere…"

"EEEEEEEEEEEE-CHEEEEEEEEEEE-GOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Oh shut up. Your whiney voice is annoying."

"How rude! You insufferable moron! You fiend! Impotent!—"

"Your insults are still as pathetic as ever…"

"Idiot! Baldy! Jerk! Kingy-wingy! Piece of poop! Virgin!—"

"OI! SHUT UP!"

"Your face looks funny all red Ichigo~."

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

But Nel ignored his protests and pinched his cheek as if she was gushing over a child, "Awww, you're throwing a tantrum like a little kid~!"

Ichigo pulled himself out of her grasp, desperately trying to reign in his temper. Nel had been trying to annoy him into playing eternal tag with her or some silly game like that. He was too old for such petty games like that…at least he thought so. He couldn't quite remember how old he really was.

"I don't have time to be fooling around!" He snapped, walking away from Nel and her 'childish' antics and pulling his torn cloak closer around himself as if it would protect himself from her insults.

"Don't be like that!" her voice was slightly panicked. "I'm sorry! Alright?" She sonidoed to catch up to him; not wanting to be left behind.

"S'fine…" The Cero Espada mumbled. His feet were wandering aimlessly.

"You were so serious and I was just trying to—,"

"I know. I've been rather depressing lately, haven't I?"

Nel nodded, and looked away; apparently deep in thought.

"Hey, king?"

"What?"

"Those golden chains…what were they? The ones you used to block the gargantuan with."

They locked eyes for a split second before Ichigo huffily turned about, embarrassed.

"I actually have no idea. It was just…just…"

"Instinct," Nel supplied, watching him pace back and forth. He nodded and stopped his restless movements. He had been refraining from asking Nel too many questions up to this, but some were too pressing at hand to be ignored no longer. Time was waning fast. Something was coming…

"Can you explain to me why I have this?"

He pulled back his shihakusho. The number 0 stood out on the pale skin better than the crescent moon in the dark sky above.

"You mean who put that tattoo on your chest?" Ichigo nodded as Nel sighed and continued, "Ever since that evil Soul Reaper I told you about, Aizen, came to Hueco Mundo, he singled out the strongest Espada by casting this strange magic (kido). All who come in contact with it receive a numbering. From what I gather, Aizen had to tap their chest, directly over where their heart used to reside, and use that to gain a reading on their power. The kido would take into effect after the hogyuku transformed them into an Arrancar. There were those who managed to avoid Aizen and hide their true power. But it was extremely difficult and required careful self control, something neither of us possesses."

"I was in contact with Aizen when I was alive, but the numbering didn't take into effect until I died."

Nel tilted her head to one side.

"I would presume so. You were widely feared for you power (and potential)…pretty much the same like right now. Of course Aizen would want to take…precautions…"

"I see…" Ichigo narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, glancing up at the bright crescent moon.

"Something else on your mind, king?"

"Yeah…I was wondering about the power system in Hueco Mundo. Is it always whoever is the strongest, gets to be king? And why do us hollows, always refer to a monarchy (like with 'king' and all that crap)?"

Nel giggled. "No one's ever really questioned _that _before…our obsession with becoming 'king' is mostly pride, if anything. It is a great honor to be given the title 'king'. We are prideful. When we lose to another, we lose some of that pride. When we are not strong enough to be 'king', admitting that is—hard. As for the…political structure of Hueco Mundo, it is based on who is strongest. This is, after all, survival of the fittest. Above that, there is Hueco Rey and his Protectors Reales. His is what the Soul King is to the Soul Society. They too live in their own 'royal dimension'. But they, unlike the Soul King, do not interfere in the doings of the three worlds. Hueco Rey and his Protectors Reales are said to be very wise and cryptic, even have foresight to the future."

"Huh, that's strange. I've never heard of seers in Hueco Mundo."

"Well now you have, and I suggest you avoid them at all costs."

Ichigo raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

"They sound creepy."

Nel shivered. "They are. I met one once, it told me to stop being a foolish, crybaby child and grow up, strange huh?"

Thought Ichigo was sorely tempted to say 'not at all!' he refrained. Instead he merely nodded and hid his laughter inside.

"They're the oldest Hollows known in existence," said Nel, fidgeting a bit as if they would appear and scold her for her rudeness. "They've spent too much time concerning themselves with the future rather than the present. They don't care about us. Even when Soul Reapers invaded—which is forbidden—they did not lift a finger. And because of that lack of action, many died."

The Cero Espada gave the Primeria a long look.

"You lost…friends…didn't you?"

"Yeah…I did."

* * *

><p>A dim light flickered in the dark room containing records of long lost laws that had either been passed or denied, mountains of orders that were either trivial or covert, and it was all conducted by Central 46. It was forbidden to enter here, not even the Thirteen Court Guard Squad Captains were allowed access.<p>

So with all this in mind, it was all the more reason for Squad Captains Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake to be as stealthy as possible.

"Shunsui, the dates match up over here," Ukitake pointed to a dark corner where a box full of papers and account books.

"Well now," sighed the Captain of squad 8 with relief, "that saves us a lot of time. I'm not really cut out for that sort of thing, ya know?" He chuckled at his own comment. Ukitake didn't respond but handed the marked box. In it were perhaps a thousand papers on orders for the last week of the winter war.

Donation from Yammamoto clan: Proceeds go to Head Judges.

Tax increase by 18%.

Refunds to families of fallen Soul Reapers.

Death tax passed. 5% interest rate.

Royal Guard meeting 5:45 pm.

Missing: Gin Ichimaru. Posted Bounty: 29000

New staff hired. Mizuki Amaterasu District 52: Pay will be decided after month's work progress.

Judge Ayame requests funds for private use. Proceeds will be given in the amount of 30000

Emergency session held at 4:37 am.

Royal Guard meeting 5:00 am.

"Here we are," Shunsui muttered, showing Ukitake a slip of paper.

Arrancar Extermination passed.

Royal Guard order: Threat 015 is to eliminated

Vizard Extermination approved. Specific by request, to ensure no escape.

Spirit King meeting 11:00am

Operation Cleanse: destruction and purge of all of Sosuke Aizen's experiments.

Threat 015 subject elimatated. Threats 014, 016, 017 under surveillance.

Royal Guard meeting 2:00 pm.

Search for Hōgyoku approved.

"My my, the Royal Guard is in the thick of all this…"

"Shunsui, Aizen put their dimension in danger, of course they'd be involved."

The said Captain snorted as he reread the orders carefully. "This whole 'operation cleanse' was a cover up just to kill the Vizards and arrancars. Also, what is this 'Threat 015'?"

Ukitake frowned, handing Shunsui a piece of paper.

Potential threats by order of emergency meeting/Royal Guard/Spirit King.

_01-Kisuke Urahara |Extremely Dangerous/medium|_

_02-Tessiai Tsukabishi |Extremely Dangerous/medium|_

_03-Yoruichi Shihoin |Extreamly Dangerous/medium| _

_04-Jinta Hanakari |Threatening|_

_05-Ururu Tsumugiya |Threatening|_

_06-Shinji Hirako |Dangerous/high| __**X**_

_07-Rojuro Otoribashi |Dangerous/high| __**X**_

_08-Mashiro Kuna |Dangerous/medium| __**X**_

_09-Love Aikawa |Dangerous/high| __**X**_

_010-Hiyori Sarugaki |Dangerous/lmedium| __**X**_

_011-Lisa Yadomaru |Dangerous/medium| __**X**_

_012-Hachigen Ushoda |Dangerous/high| __**X**_

_013-Kensei Muguruma |Dangerous/high| __**X**_

_014-Isshin Kurosaki |potential|_

_015-Ichigo Kurosaki |Extremely Dangerous/high |__**X**_

_016-Karin Kurosaki |potential/high|_

_017-Yuzu Kurosaki |potential|_

_018-Ryuken Ishida |Extremely Dangerous/medium|_

_019-Uryu Ishida |Dangerous/medium|_

"I'm starting to feel that this is a little deeper then what we intended to find," Shunsui admitted, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I didn't expect to find a hit list either," agreed Ukitake, his voice started to hint at fatigue as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Apparently, central 46 intends to kill off every name written down. But I what I can't find for some reason is the reason why…surely they'd write it down somewhere." He searched though the mess of papers in vain. Shunsui shook his head.

"What I want to know is why the Royal Guard specifically ordered the death of Ichigo Kurosaki."


	10. Garganta

Hello readers. It has been a while. Did ya miss me?...no? Too bad. -laughs-

You have no idea how much I have to squeeze a chapter out of my brain. It is torture I tell you.

I haven't really...ya know, run through this chapter. So I have no idea how many mistakes there are. So much for editing. 

Anyway, the climax is approaching. A few more chapters and the showdown will begin. bwahahahahaha! Enjoy, suckers.

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I whisper. I speak. I shout. I scream.<strong>

**Return, come back and live again.**

**But my words are pointless when talking to the dead.**

* * *

><p>"Urahara, is Ichigo really as strong as you said he is?"<p>

The said man looked at Orihime Inoue thoughtfully. They were all gathered in the odd basement of Urahara Shop, trying to open a gargantuan into Hueco Mundo. It had been six hours and there was little, if any progress.

"I'm not too sure, you see, from what Uryu and Miss Kuchiki has told me, our friend Ichigo's spiritual pressure is currently unstable. It fluctuates too much for anyone to get a solid grip on a reading. Which leads me to back tracking on what I've said earlier about him being 3x stronger than little Yammy." He laughed and fluttered his fan annoyingly, "It should have been as strong, but (sadly) it's unable to form or take shape, virtually unusable. In simpler words, he has a lot of power, but can't use it all. All it does is ooze out, not doing much—"

Uryu looked as if he was about to commit murder.

"YOU MEAN YOU GOT US ALL SCARED FOR NOTHING?"

The fan fluttered some more.

"Well, honestly….you're ABSOLUTLY RIGHT~!"

SMACK!

Rukia high-fived with Renji, trading positions.

SMACK!

"You know, I feel better," said Renji, smirking at Rukia who smirked in agreement. The group went off to ask Tessai if he had any success yet.

"My beautiful face…" Kisuke moaned, clutching the two offending bruises. Only Yoruichi paid him any heed in his innocent, undeserved suffering.

"What do we tell Isshin?" she asked quietly so only "hat-n'-clogs" could hear. "He deserves to know his son's alive, Yuzu and Karin should know too. You know how badly they were off after…the purge."

Kisuke frowned, closing his eyes and then opening them again as to steady himself.

"Isshin's power is weak. If I tell him his son's in Hueco Mundo—you'll know how he'll get. Ugh, father and son are so much alike—tearing off after people they want to protect despite the condition they're in…" Urahara grimaced. "We don't have a full grasp on the situation yet. I don't want to give him false hope in case—"

Yoruichi sighed in defeat, her golden eyes losing some of their spark.

"Fine, but let him know first thing after you 'grasp' the situation. The Kurosaki's have been through enough suffering."

Kisuke's form seemed to sag at the last sentence.

"I can but just feel that…this is all my fault…" the cheapskate shopkeeper muttered, eyes on the ground, "we knew the Soul Society wasn't telling the full truth, but we went anyways, even though Central 46 had been reinstated a few days before…" Yoruichi put a hand on his shoulder. It was rare for her friend to display this much emotion, much less remorse.

"We couldn't have known. It's no use dwelling on things that have already happened. The persons at fault are the selfish nobles who orchestrated that fiasco. Do not treat yourself like you were the one who ordered the deed. I know for a fact that many other people blame themselves for it. Take Rukia for example. She blames herself for not coming back and listening to her brother to stay in Hueco Mundo until the massacre was over. She feels that her lack of action was a life or death factor in Ichigo's dilemma. Orihime, Uryu, and Sado wish they'd left with their friend and fought by his side, perhaps even died with him or in his place. Little Byakuya even…I know he felt indebted towards Ichigo for saving his sister and protecting his wife's last wishes, but the law and his commander proclaimed Ichigo's life forfeit. I cannot imagine how he must of felt when told Rukia of the deed he'd preformed…"

Kisuke gazed up at the fake sky. "I suppose your right, but I can't help thinking, with this so called brilliant brain of mine, of what I should of done in the past. Funny… I can't change it, but I can't help remembering it either…"

* * *

><p><em>Kiskue followed Shinji over to where they'd seen Ichigo fall. They were stumbling over rubble and glass shards, the remains of the fake Karakura that were currently scattered as far as they as the eye could see. The sun was setting, painting the sky in an ember colored dye.<em>

_Excitement was flowing through his veins. The kid had done it! Aizen was dead at last! No more hypnosis, no more loss of life, no more rescue missions, no more possibilities of the world being ruled by a Soul Reaper with a god complex! The 'humble' store owner was giddy with relief._

_Kisuke ignored the stab wound in his side, like how the Vizard beside him was ignoring a rather nasty slash to the back. All thoughts were now wondering what sort of condition their comrade was in._

_They found him lying sprawled out on the debris of what must have been an office building, no visible wounds but his skin white as a sheet. His body was stiff and shaking, sweat dripping down his forehead._

_Shinji rushed to Ichigo's side and shook him to see if he was still conscious. Slowly, the sixteen year old peaked open an eye and a groan escaped his lips._

"_I feel like crap…"_

_Shinji swatted the kid's head fondly, earning a yelp of protest._

"_Moron, is that all you have to say?"_

"_Ugh, what did you expect me to say, something cheesy and heroic?"_

_Yoruichi had limped to Kisuke's side, leaning on his shoulder for support. Her breath was slightly strained, but a proud smile was on her face. Rojuro, Love, Kensei, and Lisa had wandered over too, Hiyori riding piggy back on Kensei's back, a stomach wound preventing her from walking on her own._

"_Oi! Kensei! Lead me over to baldy and that orange-jerk! I need to hit them both!" she pestered him, grasping his cheek and pulling it. Kensei however remained unmoved._

"_I'd rather give Mashiro black coffee."_

_And speaking of the devil, the green haired Vizard and Hachigen had found their way over the wreckage to the now growing party._

"_Berry boy doesn't look too good, eh Hachi?" said Mashiro, stating the obvious. Shinji was helping the said "berry" to his wobbly legs._

"_Careful Ichigo, your resurrection put quite a strain on your reiatsu. But we'll get you back to normal—err, what's normal for you…"_

"_Why does everyone keep hinting that I'm a freak?" Ichigo asked pitifully as Shinji slung an arm over his neck, supporting him._

"_Because you are one."_

"_Shut up Shinji!"_

_They all laughed and then took turns congratulating the youngest Vizard; Messing his now matted hair up, or giving him a friendly bump on the shoulder, or in Hiyori's case, bestowing him a skull crushing noogie. They promptly ignored Ichigo's own objections that they were all too injured to be standing up._

_Strangely, the Soul Reapers were absent from their celebration, the spiritual pressures readings converging on a position on the far side of town._

"_We should probably get moving," Kiskue suggested to the group at large. "Captain Kurotsuchi will soon activate the four pillars. And although it may be possible to travel to the Soul Society this way, there's no guarantee that a limb or an organ won't be left behind—"_

_Yoruichi thumped him on the head._

"_Alright then kiddos, let's go!" She called merrily, holding her old friend in a choke hold. They all complied and disappeared in the blur of flash step, those who could not muster enough strength were carried. Yoruichi reached the Soul Reapers first, apparently oblivious to her injury on the leg. Kisuke was sill in a headlock, squirming slightly as she tightened her hold, flat out ignoring his discomfort._

"_Yo! Anyone back from Hueco Mundo yet?"_

_A rather depressing blond lieutenant shook his head in answer while the other Captains regarded the Flash Goddess carefully, especially as she was joined by the Vizards a few seconds afterwards. _

"_We should be expecting them shortly, but—"_

_The blond was cut off by Captain Komamura._

"_The Thirteen Court Guard Squads would like to humbly ask that you and Former Captain Urahara to travel with Lieutenant Kira here to Hueco Mundo to err—keep an eye on Captain Kurotsuchi and report his whereabouts. He's failed to report in twice since he went into Los Nochas's laboratories."_

"_I'll try," answered Kisuke, rubbing his throat gingerly, Yoruichi only just releasing him. "He does get…caught up in his experiments. I'll admit, there are quite a few interesting specimens in Hueco Mundo…" he sighed wistfully. Captain Komamura shrugged._

"_Just make sure he's not doing anything…overly intriguing. We need him back so we can deal with Central 46 on a matter. Aizen's experiments and all that…"_

"_All the more reason I suppose…" said Yoruichi, narrowing her eyes at the Captain. The dog-like man held her stare calmly. "How long has it been since they've been reinstated?"_

"_Just a week…the Nobles were complaining…"_

_Yoruichi winced. "I understand…"_

_The Vizards were listening carefully._

"_Hey, Hat-n'-clogs," called a voice that was slightly horse. Kisuke looked over to see Ichigo standing up on his own, Shinji skeptically watching as the boy shook on his feet. Slowly, the boy raised his arm and clawed at thin air, hollow-like power oozing between his fingers. Ichigo dragged his hand through the air, opening a familiar zipper gargantuan. Everyone watched, transfixed as the boy stepped back and then turned, annoyed at Shinji._

"_See? I can do it!"_

_Hiyori snickered from her perched spot on Kensei, earning a glare from Shinji._

"_Well done, Ichigo," said Lisa snidely, "you've just perfected a technique that we've been trying to master for over one hundred years. Actually, when I say 'we' I really mean Hirako here…" She patted the Vizard's head mockingly who swiped at her hand. "Aw, don't be so bitter, Shinji…"_

"_I'm not bitter…" Shinji muttered, standing straight and crossing his arms as if to gather the remains of his 'cool' image._

"_Yeah, well, are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to go through this stupid portal?" asked Ichigo. He was still wobbling. The gargantuan taking what little spiritual pressure and patience he had left._

"_Getting to that," said Kisuke, nodding at Yoruichi who was eyeing the Soul Reapers, her golden eyes lingering for a moment on the Head Captain's steely face. Lieutenant Kira leapt into the portal first, Yoruichi following with Kisuke in tow. He looked back at the group, Ichigo, the Vizards, the Soul Reapers… There was an odd gut feeling, his instincts warning him that something was wrong. But he ignored it. Aizen was gone. There was no threat._

* * *

><p>The abnormal tearing noise split the air, proclaiming the succession of Tessai's hard work. Rukia, Renji, Uryu, Orihime, and Sado all rose from the spot from where they'd been waiting on the ground. Yoruichi and Kisuke were standing next to Tessai; all three were frowning with obvious reasons. The Flash Goddess was the first to ask the question.<p>

"Why are there…chains?"

Kisuke stepped cautiously to the inconvenient barrier, inspecting the golden links.

"Impossible…"

Rukia frowned, remembering how Ichigo proclaimed that Soul Reapers weren't allowed in Hueco Mundo anymore.

_Stupid idiot…the fool…orange headed moron…pig-headed buffoon…incompetent—_

Her eyes widened as she got closer to the gargantuan.

"I…I remember!" she suddenly exclaimed, causing everyone to stare. "These are chains…they come from hell! When Ichigo came back to fight Kokuto after he saved Yuzu—Ichigo used these chains to drag Kokuto back down to the most inner depths of hell. ARGH—why didn't I see it before?"

Kiskue sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "I'm starting to think I should never take another vacation after _that_ incident—" he changed tact because Tessai was getting in his face "—I mean, it all turned out for the better in the end! No worries! I should plan another vacation!"

"As you say, boss," the kidō master agreed.

Uryu coughed.

"Does anyone have an idea of how to get past these hell chains?" he asked indignantly, pushing up his glasses.

"The chains themselves won't hurt you, as long as you're not a Sinner," Yoruichi offered, "It will be tricky to force passage way. I doubt it will let Soul Reapers enter though, from what you told us what Ichigo said; the chains were bent to Ichigo's will, yes? This is both strength and a weakness. He forbids persons who are Soul Reapers from entering, fine. But he doesn't forbid anything else from getting through…so perhaps Orihime or Sado's powers could work. And need I mention that their powers derived from Ichigo himself…"

Orihime smiled determinedly, Sado grunted his approval and clenched his fist, both calling upon their powers.

"Koten zanshun!"

"El directo!"

Their combined attacks charged at the gargantuan and hit the golden chains dead on, tearing straight through to fade away into the inky blackness.

"Let's go!" Uryu shouted to the others while the path was free.

Rukia and Renji leaped inside first, followed by Uryu who was letting Orihime ride with him on his reishi shield, Sado came last of all.

No more waiting. Ichigo wasn't the only who wanted answers.


	11. Fox and Shark Unite

Ah, hello again. Have fun with this chapter. Slight gore.

I might be even slower in my updates...school and all that crap. Anywayz, enjoy you heartless flamers.

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Laugh all you want.<strong>

**Empty and defeated.**

**Cry all you want.**

**Fight and live.**

* * *

><p>"WHAT IMPOSSIBLE! Why is that brat still alive?!"<p>

The people who surrounded their master took a weary step back.

"Your highness," said the one who was closest, "it appears we were thwarted by an Espada attempting soul reaper abilities. The child's soul still lives. Our spies have confirmed this fact."

"I never should let Isshin Kurosaki live!" his highness muttered, a crazed look on his face. "Send soldiers the annihilate the brat immediately!"

"But Hueco Re—"

"Be damned! I won't have another threat to my power! I don't care if Hueco Rey loses his temper by you being there! Just kill Kurosaki's spawn before sundown!"

"Yes your majesty."

The people all bowed in sync to their master before backing out of the room, relieved to leave his furious presence.

* * *

><p>Two figures silently made their way down to the deepest remains of Las Nochas. The shark and fox, so contradictory in personality were strongly united on a single purpose. Both found each other in a time of need. Both had a debt to repay. The fact that it was a perfect being they were indebted to made it all the more interesting.<p>

"Gin, these cells will hardly be enough to hide him during recovery. His friends will no doubt try to retrieve him."

"You're gettin impatient…just wait for it—ah, here we are~!"

The fox pressed a pale hand to an invisible barrier which rippled slightly under his touch. A door appeared to their left.

"After you~"

The Espada cautiously entered, observing the strong built in kidō barrier and the chains hanging loosely from the wall. There were various other supplies on a table off to the side ranging from spiritual pressure restrictors to needles that were filled with a suggestive dark substance.

"I see Aizen was rather prepared…" Harribel stated dryly, folding her arms across her chest. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he was paranoid."

"More like overly careful," Gin's lofty voice sounded from the doorway. "He always had a backup plan, in case his first one didn't work ya see. That way, if something didn't work out, he could still say 'all a part of the plan' and take the next course of action. And after all, the kid did beat him, so you can't blame him for all hard work put into this room. It's build to contain the kid and keep others from knowin the location."

The shark scoffed and strode out of the room, shoving the fox aside.

"It will do, but we have a matter to attend to, don't you agree?"

The fox smiled wider, letting his senses reach out.

"So it would seem. They're here."

* * *

><p>Nel froze as killing intent passed throughout the air. Ichigo glanced at her.<p>

"Something wrong?"

She looked at him, surprised.

"You didn't feel that?"

"Feel what?"

Nel widened her eyes, bewildered at his lack of urgency. Was something wrong with him? Were his senses not working properly?

"Feel _what_?" Ichigo repeated, becoming annoyed at being left in the dark.

"There are strangers here, they want to kill."

He blinked.

"A one track mind, huh…are they Soul Reapers?"

"Yes and no. They feel like Soul Reapers, but…much much stronger…Ichigo, I don't think we can beat them…"

"_What?_" He looked slightly angered. Nel hastily corrected herself.

"There's at least ten overpowered soul reapers here with the same power as you, only it's more…err…_controlled_."

"Oh."

Nel frowned at his bemused expression.

"King, we can't just stand here. These cloaks can only hide so much of our powers. I don't want to lose you—I don't want any more senseless killing. We need a plan before they find us."

"What makes you think they're after us?"

"What else in Hueco Mundo would be deemed worthy of attention by 10 strong Soul Reapers?"

"True, but why run? If they're strong as us, we still might be able to defeat them."

Nel sighed. "—because they outnumber us greatly. And the farther away we are, the less chance they'll have of finding us."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, not exactly liking the thought of running away. But there wasn't much of a choice now, was there?

They sonidoed away at top speed, moonlit sands passing by at a blur, almost giving the impression that they were stepping on a fast running grey ocean. It was a few minutes before they reached High Rocks, tall white mountains of stone with shadows that seemed to grow longer with each second. Here and there, glowing eyes poked out fearfully, watching their king pass them by. Nel paid them no concern, they were of no threat. Her sonido became quicker with each step. She could feel the killing intent become stronger no matter how much ground they covered. The enemy was gaining ground. Ichigo by now was starting to lose control over his power in his anticipation, oozing a steady trail of thick spiritual pressure in his wake. The probability of losing control heightened when he lost emotional stability.

_His hollow instincts are starting to overwhelm him. He must be hungering for battle._

It was not too unusual for an arrancar to crave battle. The need to fight to survive always remained dormant. After all, hollows are instinctive with a one-against-all mode embedded in their minds. But Nel had to take into account that this was _Ichigo_. And all laws of simplicity and reason seemed to never affect him. They would have to be careful.

"We need to move faster!" She shouted. A desperate feeling was starting to churn her stomach. She could not press herself to run harder, this was her limit. Luckily, Ichigo sensed her dilemma and grabbed her arm, pulling her along in his double time sonido. Seeing the scenery move by at such an alarming rate only sickened Nel's stomach even more, the contents of it threatening to come back up.

Nel caught a glimpse of Ichigo's face. Beads of sweat were flying off his face while his breath was coming in gasps. Unfortunately, he appeared at his limit too.

This wasn't enough. This was pointless. Nel now knew they should have remained where they originally had been instead of wasting their energy on escaping. Meanwhile, the dangerous spirit power was closing in.

They both made an unsteady halt near a giant grove of white trees. Nel bent down to hurl and Ichigo tried to regain control over his panting.

"Sorry," he wheezed, watching her sickened state. Evidently he felt guilty. "Do you think we lost them?"

He really was poor at sensing spirit power.

"No," she admitted, eyes downcast as she refused to look at him in the face. Nel wiped saliva dripped from her mouth and rose to her feet. "You were right in the beginning. Let's do our best to fight, King."

She chanced a glance at his face. His spirit power no longer was excited, nor was his features. His eyes were dull and unfocused while that oh so familiar scowl was frozen.

"This…" he said, "This all seems so familiar."

_His memories…_

"Being chased, running, that feeling like I'm not gonna walk away from this…why?"

His voice trembled slightly. The intimidating spirit power was bound to arrive in a few minutes. Of all the times for him to lose it!

"Is that all I ever ask? WHY?! Why do I even bother asking?! It hurts—I lost something, and it wasn't just my memories! I feel so…so…empty..."

His outburst ended with a whimper as he buried his face in his palms. Nel felt herself soften. She couldn't help herself as she placed her hand on his shoulder, they way they'd done back in the World of the Living.

"Look at me."

It was a command. Slowly, the cero Espada, the Hybrid, the Substitute Soul Reaper, the human, the lost _boy_ raised his head, be it unwillingly, to dare to look at the Primeria's face.

Gently raising her left hand, Nel placed it across his chest, over the hole that went straight through.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, even though you've lost the most important thing in the world, the very fact that you lost it means that you can find it. It can be found. I will do all in my power to help you find this important thing. For now, until then, be strong."

For a moment, his yellow eyes contented themselves to gaze into hers. Slowly, she could feel resolve flicker back into his aura.

_That's right. Remember. Your purpose…_

She withdrew from him and unsheathed her sword as he did the same. They then turned away from each other and stood back to back, the protective cloaks falling at their feet. The sounds of flashstep filled the air as sand churned beneath ten pairs of feet as the last two Espada were surrounded.

"Declare, Gamuza!" Nel held out her sword in front of her as her spirit power rose, impressing her opponents. She welcomed the sudden surge of strength as her form changed into a four legged powerhouse.

"Heavenly dark sun kills, Resoluctiόn!"

A huge wave of power erupted from behind her. The feeling of a new killer intent spiked through the air, uncontrolled but fierce and ravenous. Ichigo had actually used it, his resurrection.

"Ichigo?" she spoke softly, turning to face him.

He didn't respond.

Long orange hair blew around his new mask that covered his entire face, two red stripes bleeding down the front. His skin was deathly white, matching his Espada uniform perfectly. His horned head swung around at the gathered Soul Reapers, pondering something. He held up his sword, which strangely had not disappeared in the transformation of resurrection. With each breath he took, the very air quavered with unspoken force. A challenge to those before him: Will you dare to attack me?

Nel was filled with awe at such a terrible sight. Such untamed power! It was, unnerving.

Without warning, Ichigo sprung at his newfound opponent, slicing off their arm with unusual ease.

As if that were a signal, the enemy sprung into action, ignoring Nel completely and rushing her king with swords drawn. Ichigo fended them off silently, his body twisting in acrobatic ways that Nel never knew him capable of.

She snapped out of her stupor and charged, picking off a few who were blown back by an unspoken Getsuga Tenshou.

The enemy resembled Soul Reapers to some extent except for the masks that covered their faces. By now, of few of them had wisely released their zanpakutou, a few of their abilities were rather nasty. One controlled a strange blue fire, leaving a nasty burn on Nel's left arm before she kicked him with her hoof.

Another controlled vibrations in the air, managing to land a hit on Ichigo's hierro, shattering it to expose the tender bare skin beneath the shell. But it was a short lived victory as the Soul Reaper was blown up into oblivion, engulfed by a massive red cero.

The fight was getting out of hand. Even Ichigo wouldn't overkill his opponents unless they were really asking for it. Yet Nel couldn't get him to respond to her shouts, leaving her to conclude at he'd lost himself.

His inhuman scream chilled her to the bone ask he charged at his foes again, this time beaten back by four of them. They were resorting to kidō and bankai, fending him off for the meanwhile. As powerful as the Cero Espada was, he had a weakness. And it wasn't hard to figure out.

The source of his unstable spirit power came from his mask. It was almost funny really; something so strong could shatter so easily.

Nel could only watch in horror as she was pressed back, unable to help Ichigo as he fell hard on the sand, limp and lifeless, his resurrection and mask crumbling away into dust. In a desperate effort, Nel managed to throw back her attacker as she rushed to her King's side.

It was all in vain as a sword slashed at her back and skewered her. Blood spattered her clothes was she skidded into the ground, resurrection form dissolving.

The world was getting bigger as her body shrunk. Her hands were tiny now and couldn't fit through the sleeves of her torn up uniform. Nel no longer had any energy left as hot liquid poured out of her body. Through bleary eyes, she could see those stupid Soul Reapers surround Ichigo, running him through with a blade to check if he really was dead.

* * *

><p>A sudden cry of pain told them otherwise.<p>

"What does it take to kill you, son of Kurosaki?" a gruff voice snarled, withdrawing his sword and pulling up the boy by the hair.

"SHUT UP! GO DIE!"

"Shiki, stop asking the brat stupid questions and kill him already." said a calm, serious voice.

"I just expected more from a supposed 'perfect being'! Honestly Ginkou, he barely put up a decent fight!" Skiki protested, not relenting his hold on Ichigo's orange spikes.

"Let me see," Ginkou pulled the boy out of his comrade's reach, holding the struggling child up by the neck and focusing in on its power. "It would seem dying once took a lot out of this one, unbalancing the perfection to focus on one side of its power. Some odd form of Konso I would guess, side effects probably includes loss of memory, power control, and mental state. How interesting…"

"Isn't he?" agreed a new lofty voice, startling the group of clustered Soul Reapers.

"If it isn't Ichimaru Gin come to join the show!" Shiki taunted, sneering at the former captain—only to fall flat on his face, a gaping wound in his chest.

"Oh dear, it looks like my aim's gotten rusty, I meant to get em in the face!"

"Stay out of it, ex captain," Ginkou warned, dropping Ichigo on the ground to draw his sword. "This is none of your business."

"Nor is it yours," said Tia Harribel, suddenly sonidoing next to the fox. "This isn't exactly your territory now, is it?"

"And by who's authority are you speaking for?" snarled a tall Royal Guard, leering at the new arrival.

"Wait Kogisha," Ginkou stopped his companion from moving. He turned back to Ichigo who was struggling to stand back up despite his wounds. "I sense many Protector Reales headed in our direction. Let's finished job here and leave, I fear our presence is unwelcome." He then planted his foot firmly on Ichigo's back, pressing him into the sand so that his struggles would cease somewhat, stilling the weakened boy for a clean fatal strike. "Finish those two off, I'll make quick work of this…"

But Ginkou's attention was diverted by the horrible squelching sound his comrades made as they were sliced neatly in half.

"Sadly," said Gin in a mocking voice, his wakizashi dripping with fresh blood, "there won't be any work done here today~."

The remaining Royal Guard narrowed his eyes in hatred and fired a strong hado blast at this new fiend. Gin expertly evaded the kidō, flash-stepping a few meters to the right before pointing his dagger straight at Ginkou.

SGHULCH!

"Why are you always so messy?" Harribel asked tiredly, walking over the dismantled remains to where Ichigo lay.

"I prefer quick instead of messy…"

The fox flash-stepped in front of the Cero Espada who'd currently been coughing up sand.

"Hey kid! How are ya?!"

Ichigo snarled, spitting out more grains.

"Go away fox-face!"

"Nice to hear! Now, how do ya feel about joinin us for a little while?"

"I said go away!"

Gin smiled as the kid's temper rose, pulsing out a stifling amount of spiritual pressure with every jibe.

"Don't get your sword in a twist, we're only gonna return your memories…dunno about your sanity though…"

"You're the one who's lost their mind!"

"You oughta know, huh? Well, so glad you'd like to join us!"

"Gin," Harribel interrupted, "the Protector Reales will be here any minute. We must leave."

"Right you are! Well kid, looks like we have to make a run for it!"

"Wha—" Ichigo didn't really comprehend what was happening to him before his shirt collar was seized and he felt himself being lugged over the strange man's shoulder. He couldn't really find the strength to protest though, seeing as his insides were currently protesting over fact that he'd been impaled.

He could only hope wherever these strange people were headed, they'd get there soon. Till then, he contented himself to lovely sensation of dangling like a sack of meat.

"Hurry up! My insides are getting messed up because of you!"

"They were already messed up, I didn't do anything!"

"SHUT UP!"

It hurt to shout.


	12. Time to Move

Hello once again. IMC here. Sorry for the delay. I've tried to get this updated as fast as I could, unfortunately life got in the way. I got my wisdom teeth pulled out, had school piled on my back in such a way that I'll have no Christmas break, and life's been a jerk. But here I am, and here this is.**  
><strong>

I've gotten two people who've commented that this story's gone "downhill". Well, let me say just this. When I started this story, I actually had no plot written out or any idea where this was headed. Chapters came quick and easy cause I kept thinking up situations to put the characters through. Also, I was able to update faster.

Now, I am unable to update quick enough or write enough material that's good enough to satisfy you readers. So I apologize for my ineptitude. But please, don't expect great things from this story. I'm not a miracle writer, nor am I able to live up to a reader's timely demand and quality and have the best plots in mind. I do, in fact, now have a plot basis, so I do know how this will play out.

Good news. I'll be able to update this faster because there will be a lot of flashbacks in the next chapter. Flashbacks, for me, are really easy to write. Sorry for this taking up space, now get to your reading.

May I also remind you that this story has no pairings, so stop begging me to pair up people. I'm keeping this at a "friendship" level ONLY. Sorry to disappoint...ok, maybe I'm not. XD

Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>We come. We run. The beating drum.<strong>

**A call to war. Ships far off shore.**

**The battle has just begun.**

* * *

><p>Rukia stared in disgust at the carnage around her. Bits of dismembered body parts lay strewn in every direction, staining the sand a dark red.<p>

Orihime was gasping, her hands over her mouth. Uryu set an arm over her shoulder, offering unspoken support which she gladly took.

Sado and Renji on the other hand were walking about the corpses, looking for clues or signs of life. It was a slow, messy business. Something had muddled with the reiatsu trails, jumbling any part of familiarity. The mutated bodies were hardly of any help either.

"Who—who could of done such a thing?!" Orihime's muffled wail caused them all to glance back to her shaking form, leaning on the Quincy's shoulder.

Rukia felt an overwhelming sense of pity for her friend. The human girl never had handled this kind of…situation before, and being a pacifist made it all the more hard to bear. Luckily, she had someone like Uryu to comfort her and lead her away from the…mess.

"It's probably just…err…hollows, Orihime…" she heard him say as they walked about twenty paces away.

Rukia turned back to Sado and Renji, frowning.

"Do you feel it?"

Sado nodded, his eyes lingering on a bundle of clothes before meeting Rukia's. Renji let out an empty laugh.

"Of course…who else could of done it!? That idiot…what was he thinking?"

"I suppose it's safe to say he wasn't thinking…" Rukia replied, crossing her arms as she picked her way over the bodies towards them. "The question is who these…unfortunate people are. They look like Soul Reapers…the residue certainly provides enough proof for that…"

"Not Soul Reapers…" said Renji, suddenly stooping down to pick something off the ground. It was a crest. A royal crest… Rukia narrowed her eyes to slits, examining the new find.

"Impossible!"

* * *

><p>-two hours previously-<p>

"You realize you've broken nearly a dozen rules to find this…proof?"

Shunsui smiled, tipping his straw hat up so he could get a better look at his teacher.

"The reward outweighed the consequences…I must say, wouldn't you agree?"

Genryusai Yamamoto glared at the impertinence of his student.

"Such blatant disrespect."

Sensing a circular argument, Ukitake came to his friend's aid.

"Head Captain, we've brought you this evidence of corruption. What rules we've broken are trivial to this scandal! By law, even if criminals are in the royal court, they are bound to the same fate as any other soul."

"That is not the problem here!" Yamamoto thumped his staff hard on the floor, causing all in the room to jump. "It is obvious there are ignorant souls who are abusing power in Central 46 and the Royal Guard, perhaps even extending to the Royal Family. But the problem remains, is that you bring me no names of those who are in the Royal Dimension who have committed these crimes! An investigation will take months, if not years. By then, the matter concerning Ichigo Kurosaki and others on this "hit list" will be of little matter. These traitors by then will have covered up their tracks till nary a paper remains. A matter like this needs quick action, for it is time our enemy wants and therefore is counting on."

"So are we gonna kill them all and be done with it?" asked Kenpachi Zaraki hopefully, grinning up the line of assembled captains.

"Obviously not," came the deadpan voice of Torshiro Hitsugaya, a vain in his temple throbbing as he glared at the man three times his size. "We need solid proof before we act and not some foolhardy lust for battle."

"Tch,"

Shunsui sighed, cracking his neck lazily. "If only we could contact someone trustworthy in the royal dimension, then this little problem could be solved."

"That is impossible," Yamamoto grunted, "Central 46 is restricting all connections to the Royal Dimension. It takes weeks to fill out all the proper forms to gain access."

"Then what exactly do you propose?" said Byakuya, turning his stony gaze upon his superior. "It's not as if we can just—"

There was a sudden loud knocking on the first division's door. All captains turned in surprise as Lieutenant Sasakibe flash-stepped to the Head Captain.

"Sir, former captain Shihouin requests entry to the meeting."

Yamamoto closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and then opened them again. So Urahara was still gleaning information from the Seireitei. Well, it made sense. But still…

"Impatient youngsters…very well, request permitted."

The doors flew open dramatically to show a purple haired woman striding boldly in front of the line of assembled captains.

"Greetings Head Captain," she said grinning, her arms perched on her hips. "I hear from my pal Kisuke you're in a spot of trouble, trouble that I know a solution to."

Glances were exchanged among the rows of captains.

"Please enlighten us, Yoruichi," said Unohana, smiling _that_ smile so no other person could protest.

"My pleasure…but be warned. He isn't too happy with you—" Yoruichi turned, her grin suddenly disappearing. "Come on then! Get in here before I drag you!"

Footsteps could be heard shuffling closer to the door until a tall man came into view. A frown was etched on his features while his arms were crossed. He wore a Soul Reaper uniform with a captain's hiroi tied neatly to his left shoulder.

"Isshin Shihouin," Yamamoto identified, opening one eye to inspect the man before him. "It has been a few hundred years since we last spoke. Tell me, why are you not in your rightfully earned position in the Royal Dimension?"

The man in question scoffed, rolling his eyes as he stepped forward next to his purple haired relative.

"I was banished from that golden prison nearly twenty years ago. Not that it really matters, stupid place. Anyway, Shihouin is no longer the name I bear."

"Then what, pray tell, is your name now?" asked Unohana sweetly, her face unusually serious as she studied the man before her.

The man himself straightened proudly, his dark eyes glaring at those around him.

"Isshin Kurosaki."

A horribly uncomfortable silence followed this statement. Unohana took in Isshin's messy appearance, his seeming lack of care for his looks. He was not the bright, insanely cheerful man she remembered.

_We're at fault for that so fate would have it…_

She cleared her throat, so all eyes would turn to her.

"Isshin, tell us what state the Royal Dimension or as you put it… "Golden prison" was in when you left it?" her voice was light, but her eyes said otherwise.

"State?" Isshin repeated, laughing dryly. "Complete chaos. I'll give it to you bluntly, the Soul King no longer claims royalty, but absolute supremacy over all life forms. The Royal Guards are now bound to do his every bidding, not as respected officers, but servants. Of course there was a great uproar when the Spirit King announced this, near to the time when I was banished. But he crushed them, crushed us all. Turned them all into confused dogs with no minds of their own…they were good people…" He sighed deeply, rubbing his tired eyes with one hand.

"I know what you're going to say," he said, eyes scanning the long row of faces before him. "You don't need to apologize for killing my son. You were all, as much as it detests you to admit, used by Central 46 and the Royal Guard. They are the true killers. I understand that. Although, perhaps, this was as much as my doing as theirs."

Yoruichi put a hand on Isshin's shoulder who roughly pushed it away. "Save your comfort. Now isn't the time for it. By now if their spies are any useful, the Royal Guard will know that my son's still alive. The Soul King would have already sent his people after him. It's a sloppy move that you and us can easily use to our advantage."

"Why are they bothering to kill the kid anyway?" Kenpachi spoke up, shifting to one side.

"For the same reason why I was banished and my powers were sealed. Though now, as you all can now see, the seal has broken." Isshin's shoulders slumped. "The Soul King personally banished me because I had enough potential and power to the point where it would outstrip his own. I was on good terms with many of the guards, so instead of execution, I was banished and my powers were sealed. Unfortunately, my son caught the attention of the Royal Guard, and in turn, caught the eye of the Soul King himself. Thanks to Aizen's meddling, Ichigo's potential was met and given means to grow in such a way that he became more of a threat than I'd ever been. Naturally, they tried to destroy him along with a few people Central 46 wanted gone. As you know, they succeeded…that is, they thought they did."

Yoruichi stepped up beside her brother.

"I'll continue, if you don't mind, Isshin…"

Isshin shrugged and backed up, letting the flash goddess take center stage.

"This presents an opportunity for us all," she said, her golden eyes gleaming as she tossed her purple hair to one side like a cat. "The Soul King has made a dangerous move, stepping into Hueco Ray's territory. Apparently, there's been an ongoing boundary skirmish between the two kings. As you all are aware of, Ichigo Kurosaki currently dwells in Hueco Mundo, the realm of Hollows, far outside of the Soul King's reach. Though, as most will figure, that won't stop him. _Unless_ the Protector Reales and Hueco Rey catch wind of his plan, no matter how much they prefer not to get involved, they would _never _over look a territory breech."

"So you're suggesting we alert these people?" Toshiro Hitsugaya spoke up. But before Yoruichi could respond, Mayuri interrupted, finally getting his personal say in matters.

"It's downright near impossible to track down the sorts of hollows you imply," he scoffed, waving a hand in the air, "Hueco Rey's people have stayed hidden for centuries. Yet, you speak of this as if you have the means to contact them. This kind of thing takes years of planning and researching. But assuming you've already done this or at least Kisuke Urahara has, it would mean you've known this information for quite some time, yet you refused to act until now. Reporting this to us would hardly satisfy your standards I dare say, perhaps Urahara's intentions, perhaps not. But the fact remains, you failed to tell us why you choose to disclose such…fascinating information now. Perhaps you were waiting for proof?"

Yoruichi tilted her head, "just confirmation is all, nothing more, nothing less."

"You're withholding information," Komamura bluntly stated, his great head turning to face the were-cat. "If you knew all this, why did you bother informing us instead of acting first? You have nothing to gain from this, you do not owe us, there is nothing connecting us with you to earn this information."

He broke off, leaving the unspoken question of "What do you want from us?" on everyone's minds.

At this, Yoruichi straightened herself proudly, smiling faintly at Isshin before addressing the Soul Reapers.

"It matters not for our reasons. In fact, I would go as far to say that we needed none but the simple reason to build trust and to start a new. As much as it pains us, as many friends as we've lost, we are willing to forgive and move on, so long as we move in the right direction. We are willing to help you now, in a time a need, in hopes that one day; we can repair the trust that was broken."

Surprisingly—or not, it was Soi-fon who agreed to Yoruichi's proposal.

"As Captain of the Second Division and Commander of the Stealth Force, I accept your offer and approve of your goals," she said. "Central 46 and the Royal Guard are full of traitorous conspiring scum, to clear our slate, to move on "in the right direction", we must meet this problem head on and defeat the cowardly enemies before us to restore order and restore trust among us. Our society cannot rebuild and move on before so, and to wait now will be pointless. In the face of the enemy, it is best to push away our pride and stand together rather than fighting among ourselves." Soi-fon turned boldly towards the Head Captain, "Head Captain sir, I request permission to personally inform Hueco Rey himself of the Royal Guard and oversee the hunting of Central 46's conspirers."

"See to it then, if you are so compelled." He replied somewhat grumpily. "The rest of us will determine the status of the Soul King and what is to be done."

"Yes sir!"

Soi-fon disappeared from her position and flash stepped out the door followed closely by Yoruichi, leaving Isshin in the room with the others to prepare for war.

* * *

><p>"So what exactly is this place?" Ichigo asked, frowning at the syringes and chains. It all seemed very suspicious to him. These two strange people had opened a hidden door to get here in the first place. That alone gave him reasons to doubt, overlooking the fact that they were in a destroyed ruins of some great palace.<p>

"A place that will help you get back what you've lost~!" replied Gin, lowering Ichigo down in the back of the room to against the wall. "Your soul's so unstable we can't risk any chances…by the way, you still leaking there? Oops, though that would have healed by now. Harribel, get me that needle over to the left!"

"This one?" The Former 3rd espada handed Gin something glowing.

"The very one," Gin's grin got wider (if that was possible) as he wasted no time and turning about and stabbing the needle in Ichigo's exposed left arm. To say the least, it did nothing to improve Ichigo's mood.

"What was that for?!"

"Regeneration enhancer; It speeds and cleans reiatsu, allowing natural healing and recovery."

A wave of nausea overcame Ichigo and he began retching. Gin stood back critically barely visible in Ichigo's hazy line of sight.

"At least the wound's healing up nicely—"

A great splatter of vomit hit the ground, spraying flecks on the nearby feet. Gin's smile faded a bit as he and Harribel glanced at one another.

"It's either now or never," the former Soul Reaper muttered before grabbing Ichigo's sweaty arms and chaining them in the shackles to the wall as the cero Espada shook uncontrollably. Harribel handed Gin a thick, black spiritual pressure restraining collar which he placed around Ichigo's neck. Two more similar bands were fastened around the boy's wrists.

"Any pressure whiplash will kill us both, it'd be best to try a few more surpressers to be safe…" Harribel observed coldly as Gin fastened the last strap. "Check vitals and _try_ to stabilize his condition in preparation for reishi operation. I'll bring over the instruments so we can begin. Let me know when the boy shows signs of improvement."

"Ah, so serious…" Gin mumbled, but did as she requested.

It took about ten minutes for Ichigo to begin stabilizing mostly due to his losing consciousness, but only after two more suppressors were added to his wrists and a stabilizer machine was hooked up and regulating his flow of reiatsu. Deeming Ichigo ready, Harribel took a small scalpel and pulled back the top part of his shihakusho till his hollow hole was exposed. Her slim hand gently traced the hole and slowly moved to a spot above it.

"This is it."

With well guided precision, Harribel cut a thin, deep slice parallel to the hole. The cut was just under two inches long and was already bleeding profusely as she switched to another tool that Gin handed her; tweezers.

Ever so carefully, she sank the metal straight into the wound and hit something hard. This resulted in a shutter that passed through the boy's unconscious body, causing him to faintly hiss at the unwanted touch.

"Make it fast," Gin said and Harribel clasped the tweezers over the object and gave a sharp tug. Ichigo's whole being jerked in protest at the movement as a round ball was pulled from his chest. Gin immediately moved in Harribel's stead, his hands hovering over Ichigo's chest as he began to chant a kidō.

The whole room shook as the hōgyoku glowed ominously, unhappy to be separated from its master. Harribel placed it carefully into a see-through box, sealing it shut and turned back to help Gin.

* * *

><p>Repairing Ichigo's damaged soul was not an easy task for Gin Ichimaru and Tia Harribel. It required extreme caution, especially with Ichigo's high level of power. One slip up and they'd be killed by the crushing force of his wild, untamable reiatsu.<p>

The hōgyoku, in all rights and means, was one of the reasons why Ichigo was still alive. It was protecting and preserving the remains of his torn soul. While this made it possible to repair the damage, it also made it impossible to touch. So it had to be removed, until at least when the damage was fixed.

But the operation has a risk. Removal of the hōgyoku meant the remains of Ichigo's soul would slowly dissolve into nonexistence. They would have to work quickly and precisely, all the while hoping none of the restrains they'd put on Ichigo broke.

* * *

><p>Gin's smile looked slightly haggard as his partner cautiously placed the hōgyoku back inside Ichigo's chest. It had been nearly four hours since they'd begun and his stamina was nearly spent on healing kidō. Harribel withdrew the tweezers from the kid's chest as it immediately closed up. The limp body before them gave one final shutter before letting out a heavy sigh.<p>

"I do hope all of this has not been in vain," Harribel murmured, rising to her feet and turning to the door.

"He'll recover—"

"It will take time," her voice was sharp as she strode from the room. "The boy will have to accept what has happened. When he wakes, he will be unreasonable. But see to it that he's not alone in the world, so try not to be insensitive when he regains he bearings."

The door slammed in her wake, making Gin laugh slightly.

"Heh, easier said than done…"


	13. I Remember Darkness

Greetings everyone. I'm sorry this took so long, but I wanted this to be perfect since it's a changing point. I refuse to publish anything below 3,000 words and managed to put down 3,733. I went on an 900 word spree. YAYYYY.

Anyway, I'm pleased with this and I hope you enjoy it. Again, I'm sorry for the wait. 6 months is not what I've had in mind for an update. I can't say when I'll update again, only know that I WILL update again and I won't abandon this story and will see this through. -IMC

* * *

><p><strong>Lost Heart<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>I fall to the ground<strong>

**The light's gone out**

**Yet I have little doubt**

**I'll hear the trumpets sound**

* * *

><p><em>His breaths were coming in large, strained gasps. Hands, cold and bloodied, were gripping Tensa Zangetsu shakily.<em>

_Shinji was behind him. He was the last of the original Vizards. The others were cut down only moments before. Now they were left protecting each other, guarding each other's back while standing hundreds of feet up in the air. _

_Ichigo scanned the crowd of Soul Reapers surrounding them, his hollow eyes empty of emotion. They were speaking to him, saying empty words of regret or half hearted attempts to make him surrender. It seemed even they had their consciousness' condemning them for what they had just done. It seemed that even they knew the difference between killing hollows and cutting down their own trusted allies. But the Soul Reapers were resolute in the task before them. They would finish their job. After all, who could stop them? The two that remained were drained from the power struggled with Aizen and recent battle. They would fall just like the rest. It was only a matter of time._

_They would die like the ones before them._

_Lisa was beheaded by Komamura, never even having the chance to pull on her mask. _

_Love and Kensei went down explosively after a nasty assault from the Head Captain and Kenpachi. Mashiro had tried to save them, but was caught in crossfire between Toshiro and Rose and was cut in half. _

_Hiyori was brutally sliced into pieces right in front of Shinji, making him go ballistic and nearly kill Byakuya in vengeance. _

_Hatchi was the next victim of the Head Captain when it became a contest of power and not their skill in kido._

_Rose succumbed to rapid blood loss during his bout with Soi-Fon, still fighting in the end, upholding his honor like a warrior._

_But all the while, they had still protected him._

_Ichigo hadn't caught on what they were doing till Kensei threw him out of the way of kido explosion; it was obvious to Ichigo because it was so out of character for Kensei. _

_He was then horribly aware of what exactly they were doing._

_The Vizards had surrounded him in a circle, fighting their own opponents, but always one would keep an eye on him. When Ichigo would begin to struggle with his opponent (Shunsui), one of the Vizard would go out of their way to take a hit from a blade swung at him or jumping his opponent from behind. Sure, he was worse off than the rest to begin with; the tiresome battle with Aizen's hollowfication left him weaker than usual. But it was more like they were treating him like a little brother, like he'd been with them ever since Aizen's experimentation. _

_It was…touching. He was part of their family. They cared for him more than for their own well being._

_It was that thought alone which made him tremble with a quiet, deadly rage when he saw each one fall, why it made him nearly rip Soi-Fon's arm off when Rose's body fell to the ground, lifeless and empty, it was why he'd thrown Getsuga upon Getsuga on Byakuya as Hirako charged below him._

_He'd nearly lost himself to anger and despair. Every eye had been drawn to his figure as he let out a beast-like roar, sending shock waves of wild, chaotic spiritual pressure, turning the town below them to rubble._

_He could smell their fear. Rain was pouring down in his soul. He was about to kill them all and send them all to hell when calm, desperate voice told him to stop._

_It was Shinji's voice._

_Ichigo's rage stilled, making the battlefield seem eerily quiet._

_They exchanged a long glance with each other before turning back to back, reading to fight. _

_It was the end. They both knew it, but couldn't find words to speak. There was no false reassurance that they would live to see another day. No last pat on the back or hug to encourage the other. No last goodbye. No more tears to shed._

_There was only the sword of fate, and it fell through the air with ease, smiting all those who had the misfortune of encountering it._

_Their enemies had quickly closed in and swarmed them, wearing the two remaining Vizard down to the last ounce of energy._

_It was clear that they were going for Shinji, to Ichigo's horror. Byakuya and Soi-fon were merely occupying him while the rest dealt his friend._

_Shinji must have seen this too, because he soon shouted, "JUST GET GOING ICHIGO! RUN! JUST RUN AND DON'T LOOK BACK!"_

_No, he wouldn't run. He couldn't abandon his friend. How could he run like a coward, leaving him to die? How could he sacrifice Shinji just to save his own skin?_

_If they were to die, it would be together._

"_Ichigo Kurosaki…"_

_They surrounded him, leaving Shinji bleeding out his last. _

_Despair filled his soul._

_This was the moment._

_They charged him all at once._

_Ichigo looked at them and then returned his gaze to Tensa Zangetsu. There was no way he'd be able to block all their swords at once. He couldn't fire another getsuga tenshou without collapsing and could barely muster the energy to stand in the air._

_His mouth twisted into a smile as his dead eyes watched the four swords pierce through his guard and delve into his vitals._

_They couldn't kill him, not here. No. That would be a lie._

_He couldn't die here. It was impossible._

_There was only one place where he would give up his soul._

_Ichigo opened his eyes as wind whipped past him. He was falling fast towards the demolished buildings below._

_With what little strength he could muster, he forced his remaining spirit pressure into his feet and preformed a single flashstep._

_It sent him to where he needed to be._

* * *

><p>He felt sick; like he'd eaten three courses of Orihime's poisonous recipes. Ichigo tried moving his arms to support his queasy stomach, but found it useless since they were stuck on the wall behind him.<p>

His stomach curled again, though it was not from nausea. Cautiously, now hyper sensitive of his surroundings, he analyzed his current situation.

From what he could tell with his eyes closed, he was in a small room and chained by the arms to the wall. His use of spiritual pressure was blocked and locked away. There were seals on his wrists, neck, ankles, and chest, insuring restriction and the containment of his usual oozing of spiritual pressure. There was one more thing to take into account. He was not alone.

His eyes snapped open.

"Y—you?!"

Gin Ichimaru smiled lazily.

"Who else would ya be expectin', kid?"

Ichigo tugged at his restrained arms, wanting to punch the man.

"Ah, so impulsive. If ya'd stop movin', I'll undo all the seals and stuff."

"What?" Ichigo deadpanned.

"But of course," Gin went on, his smile growing wider as he poked Ichigo on the nose, "it all depends if yer stable and all. I don't really fancy myself being blown ta bits by your violent spiritual pressure, ya know?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow while tilting his head away from Gin's finger. "Go on…"

"Yer recoverin' from a life threatenin' condition, kid. I'll have to do it slow like, so we make sure yer soul doesn't crack and all and you know…cause yer rather unfortunate death."

"I see. And who's "we"?"

"Oh," Gin chuckled, "just me and Harribel. Remember? The Arrancar Espada weird tattoos on her face and pretty golden hair?"

"I—yeah, I do. The konso lady…"

"So ya _do_ remember, I'm kind of surprised ya did, seein' how ya were…bein' nearly dead an all…"

* * *

><p><em>Byakuya Kuchiki had left only seconds before, his intentions unclear. The other lower ranking Soul Reapers went him to assist.<em>

_Gin smiled. This was perfect._

"_Now's our time ta shine, Harribel!"_

"_Now's not the time for your useless comments…"_

_The bloodied Arrancar followed the former captain at a limp, clutching her stomach with her left hand and her sword in the other. Her body was in great pain, but not as bad as it had previously been. Gin had seen to that._

"_Why are you bothering to save this child?" she asked; not bothering to hide the disgruntlement in her voice._

_Gin smiled, his voice becoming rather deadly as he patted his wakizashi with one hand._

"_I owe the kid a debt, since he managed somethin' I couldn't. I promised myself, ya know? I was goin' to make sure Rangiku would never cry again…but I couldn't. Now she's gone…but so is the monster too. So I can at least make sure that the one who killed him won't die. After all, the kid's life is too important to waste away. Big things will be happenin'. Lots of interesting things…"_

_Whilst Gin was talking, they'd reached the place where the boy was lying comatose on the river bank. The open wounds in his stomach were leaking his last ounces of blood; staining the grass a dark crimson._

_Harribel bent down, putting a hand on the exposed, bloodstained neck._

"_His heart barely beats; he doesn't have much time left."_

_She looked questioningly at her companion. Gin merely stared back and motioned to her sword._

"_Tell me," he said, "do ya know what happens when an Arrancar attempts konso?"_

_Harribel glanced at her blade and then back at the ever smiling fox._

"_Hueco Mundo?"_

"_That was my guess. Cept who knows what will happen to the soul…"_

"_This is your way of repayment?"_

"_No time for reasonin', just do it."_

_The Espada sighed heavily before lifting her blade, hilt facing the boy whose glazed eyes were staring up into her own._

"_Your sacrifice will not be in vain, for you are not alone, little one. Look for us…"_

_Harribel gently pressed her hilt onto the boy's brow as his eyes closed peacefully. There was a bright light, an eerily familiar presence, and then all was silent._

_The Arrancar rose to her feet, stilling looking down upon the place where the child had lain, her mind buzzing._

"_Huh," Gin mused, a small frown marring his features. "So that's what happened to the hogyoku."_

* * *

><p>"Thanks for that…how long has it been since then?" Ichigo asked. His mind was still foggy around the edges. "It's all been a little—fuzzy."<p>

"Nearly three years."

"W—what?!"

Gin tilted his head, studying Ichigo's face. Ichigo began pulling at his restraints again.

"What about my family!? I've been gone way too lon—_Gah_!"

A sharp pain in his chest halted his struggling. His head sagged down and he glimpsed his bare chest.

"My my, ya might wanna be careful there. Wouldn't want to rip your soul now…"

"R—rip?" Ichigo croaked, wincing at the throbbing pain.

"Yeah," Gin pointed a finger at Ichigo's sternum. "Yer soul was nearly destroyed with Harribel's konso. It probably would have reformed into a low class hollow and your memories would be lost to the wind. Luckily, you had the hogyoku to prevent that. It held together your damaged soul until you could repair it again."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Gin's.

"The hogyoku," he stated. "I remember now…what made Aizen fall…"

"Good, things will start to comin' back one thing after another, but now isn't the time to dwell and mope, we've got a new problem."

"Problem?"

"Ya remember why Gotei 13 tried to kill you?"

Ichigo shook his head. Gin had started to undo the seals on his right arm. The removal of the seals probably had to do with the sudden dull in the pain from his chest.

"Well, there was an order from Central 46 to purify all of Aizen's experiments involvin' hollows. They wanted a fresh start in other words. "The great purge" they call it."

"I'm not one of Aizen's experiments."

"No, you aren't," Gin agreed, "But Central 46 lumped ya with the Vizards. Course, there were a few other people who wanted you dead and were very insistent about your demise. It left no open room for discussion with Gotei 13 and the pompous idiots threatened them with dissolvent and accusations of treasons if they refused to comply. Or, in other words, they threatened to remove all the squads and replace them with their own wee puppets."

Both of Ichigo's eyebrows were raised high.

"That's a little extreme."

Gin laughed happily, "Pissy nobles through and through, though mind you, never say that ta Captain Kuchiki's face since he'd throw a tantrum. But then, it's not wholly unexpected (not the tantrum part but the other stuff.) There was a lot of dislike for the military government take over. All the nobles threw a fit at the lack of their righteous opinions."

"Something to do with 'traditions must be upheld' crap?"

"Now ya get it. Say, Ichigo, do you remember much after Harribel konsoed you?"

"Uhhh," Ichigo scowled as he tried to get his mind to work. It was harder than it sounded. "No, not really. Why, did something—err, happen?"

"You kind of attracted the attentions of every powerful soul reaper and Central 46…"

"H—how?"

Gin's face became stonily serious.

"You invaded the Soul Society and had a fight to the 'death' with Kenpachi, the 'dead' looser had to dye their hair."

"I DID WHAT?"

"Just kidding!" Gin patted Ichigo's head in what he must have thought to be a comforting manner. A large vain began to pulse in Ichigo's temple as he strained against his bonds to punch the man. Luckily, Gin hadn't undone Ichigo's shackles yet so he was safe for the time being.

"Hey hey! Teasin' aside, all ya did was hangout with Neliel, visit the world of the livin', and have some trouble controllin' yer spiritual pressure."

"Oh, well that was stupid."

"You callin' yerself stupid now?"

"No! It was just a stupid decision on my part!"

Gin shrugged his shoulders and then refocused on undoing the seals that were nearly finished.

"What's done is done is done I suppose, though you're gonna have to deal with the consequences."

Ichigo grunted in reply. He didn't care much if Centrel 46 was hunting him.

_Let them send their pathetic mannequins and then we'll see who's stronger now that I'm at full strength!_

"So how are ya doin' and all since their deaths?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the small room at the sudden, personal question. Gin obviously had no qualms in asking, well, kind of expected since he was a bit of a psychopath. Truth be told, Ichigo felt awkward talking about it with a person like the ex-captain, personality aside. And now that he thought about it, with the deaths of the Vizards registering in his mind and sinking into reality, an ocean deep sense of guilt had filled his soul. It weighted him down like a large boulder was pressed on his chest.

It was unfair. His comrades should have lived; they should have been laughing and celebrating with Aizen's downfall behind them, not dead and beneath mounds of earth.

"I'm…I can manage," he murmured, his heart sinking in the regions near his stomach.

"I suppose that's passable," Gin said skeptically, finally undoing the last seal and releasing Ichigo from his bonds. The ex-captain stood up and stretched lazily, observing Ichigo stand up as well through slit eyes.

"We'd best be going and meet Harribel,"

"Oh?" Ichigo tilted his head in question. _Konso Lady? I guess I should thank her then…for saving my life._

"This way!" said Gin cheerfully; smiling like usual again and making Ichigo jump at the sudden mood swing.

Gin Ichimaru lead him out the door to a demolished Las Noches. Absolutely nothing was unscathed with broken walls, piles of rubble, and fallen in ceilings at every turn. It made walking a rather hard task, as they had to climb over some sections of piled high rock.

Harribel was perched on the highest point of Las Noches. She greeted them in a callous manner upon their arrival, her eyes still fixed on the horizon.

"We have waited too long," she said, "It would seem a band of Soul Reapers have entered Hueco Mundo. The Protector Reals have moved along, back to their domain. Come, or we will miss them, shinigami are such temperamental things."

She made to move down from her lookout point, but Ichigo grabbed her arm.

"Sorry," he said, quickly releasing her limb, "it's just…I wanted to say thank you."

Harribel turned her head and looked him in the eye. It was a moment before she replied.

"It is only chance that you've ended up this way, and it was of no means my doing. You must credit the strength of your will for commanding the hogyoku."

"Commanding?"

But neither Gin nor Harribel answered him. Both in fact had started out across the desert, making him having to run to catch up. Feeling slightly abashed, but none the less determined, Ichigo ran wholeheartedly, enjoying the feeling of cold air flying past.

* * *

><p>"You're Itsygo's friends!"<p>

Rukia sighed heavily for the third time. This small Arrancar child's glee was starting to try on her nerves.

"Yes, Nel. Now, can you just keep still while Orihime heals you?"

"Let her be," Uryu said, pushing up his glasses. "She won't listen, no matter what you say."

Chad grunted before sitting down and distracting Nel while Orihime's Shun-Shun-Rikka did their work.

"Rukia," Renji called, walked back over from exploring a bit, "the remains of Los Noches are located about twenty miles to the right from here. I also saw about 12 sets of foot prints coming to and from the site in a four by four formation. I'm guessing they're the Protector Reals come to investigate why the Royal Guard crossed boundaries."

"Interesting," Rukia murmured, a small finger touching her chin thoughtfully, "that doesn't give us much to go on. I suppose we should check out Los Noches if there's any hope of finding—"

POOF!

"Ahh, that feels so much better!" Neliel stretched her now adult sized arms high above her head lazily. "Thank you, Orihime."

"Oh, no problem!" replied Orihime cheerily, helping the Primera Espada to her feet. "It's good to see you again, Neliel!"

"I wish it was under better circumstances…" She glanced over to the bodies and bloodstained sand. "I take it you found no trace of Ichigo."

Rukia shook her head, "Only the mutated bodies he left in his wake."

"It's unlike him," Uryu said, "Ichigo, memories or not, would not resort to killing. He's never been one who could stomach killing."

"Of course," Neliel agreed, "however, his sanity left him along the way. He became an unstoppable killing machine, running on instinct. Though, on his behalf, they attacked first, we were only trying to esca—"

Everyone froze. A very familiar spiritual pressure was heading towards them along with two others.

"Can it be?" Renji said hopefully, moving in the direction of the energy.

"Yes, of course it is," smiled Rukia, cracking her knuckles in preparation and started forwards as a recognizable figure flash-stepped into view.

"Yo," said Ichigo, waving a hand in greeting. He was back in his usual Soul Reaper uniform and no longer had a hole or mask. The young man seemed to be in a good mood, his scowl barely visible.

"YOU FOOL!"

A small fist met jaw and jaw met ground.

Ichigo twitched in pain as Rukia stood over him, seething.

"YOU TACTLESS, MORONIC, STUPID, UTTER FOOL!" she screamed, "HOW DARE YOU SAY "YO" AFTER ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE!"

"I'm sorry," he whimpered as her small heel dug into his side. "I don't know what I did, but I'm really, really sorry!"

"It's fine! We fixed Ichigo for ya~." Gin said, appearing out of nowhere and causing Rukia to stumble a few steps backwards only to be caught by Renji. The former third Espada sonidoed next to the ex Soul Reaper captain, glancing at Orihime.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Ishida asked bluntly, skeptically watching the new arrivals.

"Don't worry, Quincy!" Gin patted Uryu on the shoulder, "I'm immortal!"

…

"Just kidding!"

"Hello Tia," Orihime said politely, "I'm glad you managed to survive the purge."

"I'm happy to see the Soul Reapers didn't harm you in turn, Orihime," Tia Harribel nodded to the girl.

Chad walked between the chattering people and picked Ichigo up by the neck of his shirt, setting him on his feet.

"Hey Chad, it's good to see you again," said Ichigo gratefully. Chad nodded.

"Your family is fine, Ichigo," said Chad before Ichigo could ask, "We looked out for them after you died."

"Thanks man, I really appreciate it,"

"It was the least we could do, fool," Rukia chuckled, managing a small smile. "What poor friend would we be if we didn't look after your little sisters?"

"It was a hard time looking after _him_," Neliel laughed, "Ichigo's a tough kid to babysit."

Renji grinned widely, making Ichigo frown and shift uneasily on his feet.

"You weren't that bad," she said sympathetically, noticing his embarrassment, "You weren't too much trouble, standing in one place for days on end. It was a bit of a shock that you'd forgotten everything I'll admit, but you managed well. I…well, was childish around you to help you around. You seemed to be in a constant state of shock. Well, actually, it seemed like you were never fully awake or had your senses about you. I'm glad you're better now…it was hard, watching you go through that."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that pain, all of you," Ichigo mumbled, "I should have—"

"There was nothing you could have done," Rukia touched his arm, drawing his eyes to her face. "You needn't apologize."

"Well, I'd hate to break up this chatter, but there are pressing matters to attend to."

It seemed, while talking, no one had noticed a sleek, black cat walk in their midst.

"Yoruichi!"

"Greetings, young Ichigo, it seems you've regain your memories."

"Yeah," Ichigo shrugged, as if it was no be deal.

"I have important information to relay, gather close everyone!" the cat snapped, flicking her tail in an irritated manner. Once everyone had complied, Gin included, Yoruichi tucked her tail neatly beside her paws and promptly dropped the bomb.

"Central 46 has been disbanded and the Soul Society is waging war on the Royal Dimension."


End file.
